Medical term:

hepcidin


A 25-residue peptide hormone encoded by the HAMP gene, produced by the liver, and now regarded as the master regulator of iron homeostasis in humans and other mammals. Hepcidin is a direct inhibitor of ferroportin, a protein present in enterocytes and macrophages, which transports iron out of cells and into storage pools
Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

hepcidin

(hĕp′sĭd-ĭn)
A protein secreted by the liver that acts as a regulatory hormone that controls the amount of iron in the body. Elevated levels of hepcidin in the blood prevent iron from being taken up by red blood cells. Hepcidin levels rise in many chronic illnesses and infections, causing the anemia of chronic disease. Proteins that block the action of hepcidin result, by contrast, in iron overload diseases such as hemochromatosis.
Medical Dictionary, © 2009 Farlex and Partners

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