{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T00:57:08Z","timestamp":1787792228626,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,9]],"date-time":"2021-05-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1620518400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Antioxidants"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Tightly regulated iron metabolism prevents oxidative stress. Hepcidin is a hormone that regulates iron flow in plasma; its production is induced by an iron overload and by inflammation. It inhibits iron entry into the circulation by blocking dietary absorption in the duodenum, the release of recycled iron from macrophages and the exit of stored iron from hepatocytes. Varied signals responding to iron stores, erythropoietic activity and host defense converge to regulate hepcidin production and thereby affect iron homeostasis. Although it is known that hepcidin increases when interleukin 6 (IL-6) increases, the relationship between hepcidin, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance (IR) and visceral adiposity index (VAI) in adolescents with obesity is unclear. In this cross-sectional study of 29 obese adolescents and 30 control subjects, we explored the difference of hepcidin, iron metabolism markers and IL-6 between obese and non-obese adolescents, and identified associations with inflammation, atherogenic dyslipidemia and IR. As compared to lean controls, obese participants showed 67% higher hepcidin: 14,070.8 \u00b1 7213.5 vs. 8419.1 \u00b1 4826.1 pg\/mLc; 70% higher ferritin: 94.4 \u00b1 82.4 vs. 55.1 \u00b1 39.6 pg\/mLa and 120% higher IL-6: 2.0 (1.1\u20134.9) vs. 0.9 (0.5\u20131.3) pg\/mLd. Transferrin, soluble transferrin receptor and total body iron (as measured by sTFR\/ferritin, log10 sTFR\/ferritin ratio and sTFR\/log ferritin ratios) were not different between the two cohorts. In the whole cohort, hepcidin correlated with VAI (r = 0.29a), sd-LDL (r = 0.31b), HOMA-IR (r = 0.29a) and IL-6 (r = 0.35c). In obese adolescents hepcidin correlated with TG (r = 0.47b), VLDL-C (r = 0.43b) and smaller LDL2 (r = 0.39a). Hepcidin elevation in adolescents with obesity is linked more to inflammation and metabolic alterations than to iron metabolism since the other markers of iron metabolism were not different between groups, except for ferritin. Studies addressing the long-term effects of higher hepcidin levels and their impact on subclinical anemia and iron status are warranted. a\u00a0p &lt; 0.05; b\u00a0p &lt; 0.01, c\u00a0p &lt; 0.001 dp &lt; 0.0001.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/antiox10050751","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,9]],"date-time":"2021-05-09T21:32:46Z","timestamp":1620595966000},"page":"751","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":24,"title":["Higher Hepcidin Levels in Adolescents with Obesity Are Associated with Metabolic Syndrome Dyslipidemia and Visceral Fat"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"Reyna","family":"Rodr\u00edguez-Mortera","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Science, University of Guanajuato, Leon 37320, Mexico"},{"name":"Glycation, Oxidation and Disease Laboratory, Department of Research, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Touro University California, Vallejo, CA 94592, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Russell","family":"Caccavello","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Glycation, Oxidation and Disease Laboratory, Department of Research, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Touro University California, Vallejo, CA 94592, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ricardo","family":"Hermo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Glycation, Oxidation and Disease Laboratory, Department of Research, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Touro University California, Vallejo, CA 94592, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mar\u00eda Eugenia","family":"Garay-Sevilla","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Science, University of Guanajuato, Leon 37320, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alejandro","family":"Gugliucci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Glycation, Oxidation and Disease Laboratory, Department of Research, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Touro University California, Vallejo, CA 94592, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"147","DOI":"10.1016\/S0014-5793(00)01920-7","article-title":"LEAP-1, a novel highly disulfide-bonded human peptide, exhibits antimicrobial activity","volume":"480","author":"Krause","year":"2000","journal-title":"FEBS Lett."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3776","DOI":"10.1182\/blood-2002-04-1260","article-title":"Inappropriate expression of hepcidin is associated with iron refractory anemia: Implications for the anemia of chronic disease","volume":"100","author":"Weinstein","year":"2002","journal-title":"Blood"},{"key":"ref_3","first-page":"1913","article-title":"Hepcidin","volume":"57","author":"Ganz","year":"2016","journal-title":"Rinsho Ketsueki"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1051","DOI":"10.2215\/CJN.05931108","article-title":"Hepcidin\u2014A potential novel biomarker for iron status in chronic kidney disease","volume":"4","author":"Zaritsky","year":"2009","journal-title":"Clin. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"260","DOI":"10.3324\/haematol.2019.232124","article-title":"Iron metabolism and iron disorders revisited in the hepcidin era","volume":"105","author":"Camaschella","year":"2020","journal-title":"Haematologica"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1291","DOI":"10.1038\/s41366-020-0522-x","article-title":"The effect of central obesity on inflammation, hepcidin, and iron metabolism in young women","volume":"44","author":"Stoffel","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int. J. Obes."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1111","DOI":"10.1038\/ijo.2009.146","article-title":"Overweight children have higher circulating hepcidin concentrations and lower iron status but have dietary iron intakes and bioavailability comparable with normal weight children","volume":"33","author":"Aeberli","year":"2009","journal-title":"Int. J. Obes."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5102","DOI":"10.1210\/jc.2009-1361","article-title":"Hepcidin in obese children as a potential mediator of the association between obesity and iron deficiency","volume":"94","author":"Santoro","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"238","DOI":"10.1097\/MPH.0000000000001216","article-title":"Plasma hepcidin levels in healthy children: Review of current literature highlights limited studies","volume":"41","author":"Kumar","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Pediatr. Hematol. Oncol."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"28","DOI":"10.1159\/000501718","article-title":"Soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products and its correlation with vascular damage in adolescents with obesity","volume":"92","author":"Caccavello","year":"2019","journal-title":"Horm. Res. Paediatr."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1772","DOI":"10.1038\/ijo.2010.204","article-title":"Effect of body mass index reduction on serum hepcidin levels and iron status in obese children","volume":"34","author":"Amato","year":"2010","journal-title":"Int. J. Obes."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1100","DOI":"10.1515\/cclm-2017-0733","article-title":"Higher D-lactate levels are associated with higher prevalence of small dense low-density lipoprotein in obese adolescents","volume":"56","author":"Caccavello","year":"2018","journal-title":"Clin. Chem. Lab. Med."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1606S","DOI":"10.3945\/ajcn.117.155887","article-title":"Laboratory methodologies for indicators of iron status: Strengths, limitations, and analytical challenges","volume":"106","author":"Pfeiffer","year":"2017","journal-title":"Am. J. Clin. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_14","first-page":"172","article-title":"Study of serum hepcidin as a potential mediator of the disrupted iron metabolism in obese adolescents","volume":"9","author":"Nazif","year":"2015","journal-title":"Int. J. Health Sci."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"969","DOI":"10.1007\/s40618-017-0823-7","article-title":"Hepcidin, soluble transferrin receptor and IL-6 levels in obese children and adolescents with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus\/impaired glucose tolerance and their association with obstructive sleep apnea","volume":"41","author":"Shalitin","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Endocrinol. Investig."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"542","DOI":"10.1080\/10245332.2018.1423671","article-title":"Relationship between obesity and iron deficiency anemia: Is there a role of hepcidin?","volume":"23","author":"Sal","year":"2018","journal-title":"Hematology"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"92","DOI":"10.1111\/ijlh.12358","article-title":"Hepcidin and iron disorders: New biology and clinical approaches","volume":"37","author":"Arezes","year":"2015","journal-title":"Int. J. Lab. Hematol."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"480","DOI":"10.1194\/jlr.M011338","article-title":"Mast cells, macrophages, and crown-like structures distinguish subcutaneous from visceral fat in mice","volume":"52","author":"Altintas","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Lipid Res."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"143","DOI":"10.1016\/bs.vh.2019.01.007","article-title":"Hepcidin and IL-1beta","volume":"110","author":"Kanamori","year":"2019","journal-title":"Vitam. Horm."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1255","DOI":"10.1139\/cjpp-2018-0433","article-title":"Serum ferritin level as an early indicator of metabolic dysregulation in young obese adults\u2014A cross-sectional study","volume":"96","author":"Hitha","year":"2018","journal-title":"Can. J. Physiol. Pharmacol."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"15307","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-018-33534-4","article-title":"The relationship between plasma ferritin levels and body mass index among adolescents","volume":"8","author":"Shattnawi","year":"2018","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108316","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jnutbio.2019.108316","article-title":"Copper modulates sex-specific fructose hepatoxicity in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NALFD) Wistar rat models","volume":"78","author":"Morrell","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Nutr. Biochem."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3359","DOI":"10.1182\/blood-2002-10-3071","article-title":"The quantitative assessment of body iron","volume":"101","author":"Cook","year":"2003","journal-title":"Blood"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e6179","DOI":"10.1097\/MD.0000000000006179","article-title":"Association of serum ferritin with insulin resistance, abdominal obesity, and metabolic syndrome in Korean adolescent and adults: The Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2008 to 2011","volume":"96","author":"Shim","year":"2017","journal-title":"Medicine"}],"container-title":["Antioxidants"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-3921\/10\/5\/751\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T05:58:25Z","timestamp":1760162305000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-3921\/10\/5\/751"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,9]]},"references-count":24,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,5]]}},"alternative-id":["antiox10050751"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/antiox10050751","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-3921"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2076-3921","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,9]]}}}