Figure 4.
IL-6 infusion increases urinary hepcidin and decreases serum iron in humans. Six subjects were infused with rhIL-6 for 3 hours at the rate of 30 ∝g/h. Urine and serum samples were collected: prior to infusion at 0 hours, at the end of the infusion (3 h inf), 2 hours after the infusion (2 h after), and 24 hours after the infusion (24 h). (A) Serum IL-6 concentrations. (B) Urinary hepcidin levels. Thick line represents the geometric mean. The increase in hepcidin at 2 hours after infusion is highly significant (P < 0.001 by one-way RM ANOVA). (C) Serum iron concentration. (D) Serum transferrin saturation. Thick lines represent the arithmetic mean. The decreases in serum iron concentration and transferrin saturation at 2 hours after infusion are both highly significant compared with preinfusion values (both P < 0.001 by one-way RM ANOVA). creat, creatinine.