A study of an Incidence of tuberculosis is linked to elevated hepcidin at HIV diagnosis

Background: Hepcidin prevents ferroportin-mediated iron efflux, which results in intracellular macrophage iron retention and may encourage Mycobacterium tuberculosis nutrient absorption and TB pathogenesis. Aims & Objectives: In order to research into the relationship between incident pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB and plasma hepcidin levels, a retrospective cohort of HIV-positive, antiretroviral-native individuals had their plasma hepcidin levels tested at HIV diagnosis. Methods & Materials: Between 5 August 2017 and 1 June 2019, 140 individuals were monitored, and 34 incident TB cases were found. Discussion: After a median time to TB of 7 months, higher hepcidin was linked to a significantly increased chance of TB. Conclusion: The need for time-sensitive biomarkers that can detect individual variations in TB risk and the elucidation of iron-related causative pathways cannot be overstated.