Changes in pro-inflammatory cytokines and antimicrobial proteins in elderly women with iron deficiency anemia

OBJECTIVE: Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) is common nutritional deficiency particularly in women and also common during the older age. Aging increases plasma levels of inflammatory mediators such as pro-inflammatory cytokines and acute phase proteins. However, there is little information about changes in antimicrobial proteins in elderly women with IDA. In this study, we aimed to determine the changes in pro-inflammatory cytokines and newly discovered antimicrobial proteins like hepcidin, chemerin and defensin in elderly women with IDA. METHODS: Blood samples taken from healthy 20 women (55±7 years old) and 20 women with iron deficiency anemia (58±6) were used as material of the study that came to the Cankiri State Hospital in 2016 and 2017 years. RESULTS: In the study, plasma C-Reactive Protein (CRP) (P <0.01), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (P <0.05) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels (P <0.05) were significantly increased in group with IDA when compared with healthy group. Also plasma hepcidin (P <0.001), chemerin (P <0.05) and defensin levels (P <0.05) were determined significantly higher than the healthy group. CONCLUSION: We found that inflammatory changes occur in elderly women with IDA. Besides pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (CRP, IL-6, TNF-α), antimicrobial protein levels (hepcidin, chemerin, defensin) were found higher in elderly women with IDA because of inflammatory changes.