Abstract: Objective To investigate the changes of serum hepcidin and iron metabolism index in patients with hepatitis B and in pC1.3 plasmid containing HBV genome-transfected Huh7 cells in vitro. Method 71 patients with CHB and 24 healthy subjects were recruited in this study, and serum hepcidin, serum iron (SI), ferritin (Ferr), and transferrin (Tf) as well as IL-6 levels were detected. The HBV-infected Huh7 cells were constructed, and the expression of Hepc were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. Result Serum SI, Ferr, IL-6, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and serum total bilirubin (TBIL) levels were significantly elevated and serum Hepc, Tf, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), and albumin (ALB) levels were significantly decreased (P<0.05) in patients with CHB as compared to those in healthy persons (P<0.05); the relative levels of Hepc mRNA in HBV-transfected Huh7 cells at 24 h after transinfection was (5.21±0.43) , significantly higher than (0.73±0.14) in vacant plasmid-infected Huh7 cells (P<0.05), and at 48 h, it was (8.45±0.61), also significantly higher than (1.16±0.17) in the control (P<0.05); the relative expression of Hepc protein in HBV-transfected Huh7 cells at 48 h of plasmid transfection was (0.78±0.08), significantly higher than (0.41±0.02) in the vacant (P<0.05). Conclusion Detection of hepcidin and iron metabolism-related indicators might help to assess the progress of chronic hepatitis B, and an appropriate administration of hepcidin or its corresponding endogenous activators needs clinical trials.

Key words: Hepatitis B, Hepcidin, Iron metabolism, Huh7 cells