Erythroferrone is associated with the hepcidin-to-ferritin ratio and cardiovascular mortality in chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND

The role of erythroferrone, a hormone synthesized in erythroid cells that suppresses hepatic production of hepcidin to increase systemic iron availability during erythropoiesis expansion, has not been sufficiently characterized in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Therefore, we evaluated its determinants and its association with mortality risk in patients with CKD stages 3-5.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study with longitudinal follow-up, erythroferrone, hepcidin, ferritin, transferrin saturation (TSAT), C-reactive protein (CRP) and nutritional status were assessed in 377 CKD patients [92 patients with CKD stages 3-4, 210 non-dialysed patients with CKD stage 5 and 75 patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD)]. Regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between erythroferrone and relevant variables. The association between erythroferrone and mortality risk was analysed using Fine-Gray analysis, accounting for kidney transplantation as a competing risk.

RESULTS

Erythroferrone, hepcidin and ferritin were higher in PD patients and in CKD 5 patients as compared with CKD 3-4 patients, whereas the hepcidin-to-ferritin ratio did not differ between the cohorts. In linear regression analysis, erythroferrone was positively associated with the reticulocyte count, CRP and CKD severity and negatively associated with TSAT and the hepcidin-to-ferritin ratio (and hepcidin). Further adjustment for erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) revealed that erythroferrone no longer showed an association with the severity of CKD or CRP levels. Finally, erythroferrone was linked to both all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Erythroferrone in CKD patients associated with the reticulocyte count and ESA dose and was inversely correlated with the hepcidin-to-ferritin ratio and TSAT, while its relationship with CKD stage may reflect ESA therapy. Higher circulating erythroferrone levels are associated with an increased mortality risk.