TABLE 2.
Serum iron regulatory hormone concentrations and their ratios in adolescents and women carrying multiples during pregnancy1
| Multiples cohort | Adolescent cohort | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variable | Midgestation | Delivery | Midgestation | Delivery |
| ERFE, ng/mL | 0.6 [0.4–0.8]# (72) | 0.9 [0.6–1.3]* (49) | 0.5 [0.3–0.6] (139) | 0.4 [0.3–0.5] (185) |
| EPO, mIU/mL | 29.8 [25.6–34.7]# (72) | 34.7 [27.5–43.9]* (59) | 28.3 [26.1–30.8] (143) | 26.5 [24.2–28.9] (202) |
| Hepcidin,2 ng/mL | 1.3 [0.8–1.9]# (72) | 2.3 [1.6–3.2] (60) | 20.7 [18.0–23.8] (144) | 24.2 [20.9–28.2] (205) |
| Percentage undetectable3 | 23#* (17) | 3 (2) | 5 (7) | 10 (20) |
| H:EPO2 | 0.04 [0.03–0.07] (72) | 0.06 [0.04–0.10] (58) | 0.7 [0.6–0.9] (141) | 0.9 [0.8–1.1] (199) |
| H:ERFE2 | 2.3 [1.3–4.0] (71) | 2.5 [1.4–4.5] (48) | 47.0 [32.4–68.0] (134) | 57.70 [42.1–79.1] (180) |
| ERFE:EPO | 0.02 [0.01–0.02] (70) | 0.03 [0.02–0.03]* (48) | 0.02 [0.01–0.02] (132) | 0.01 [0.01–0.02] (177) |
1
Values are geometric means [95% CIs] (n) for transformed variables or percentages (n). #Significant difference between midgestation and delivery within a cohort; *Significant difference compared with the adolescent cohort (P < 0.05). EPO, erythropoietin; ERFE, erythroferrone; H, hepcidin.
2
Differences between cohorts in hepcidin, H:EPO, H:ERFE concentrations were not assessed as hepcidin was measured with different assays between cohorts.
3
Hepcidin limit of detection for the adolescent cohort was 5 ng/mL and for the multiples cohort was 0.39 ng/mL.