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Hepcidin, the main regulator of iron metabolism, is synthesized and released by hepatocytes in response to increased body iron concentration and inflammation. Deregulation of hepcidin expression is a common feature of genetic and acquired iron disorders: in Hereditary Hemochromatosis (HH) and iron-loading anemias low hepcidin causes iron overload, while in Iron Refractory Iron Deficiency Anemia (IRIDA) and anemia of inflammation (AI), high hepcidin levels induce iron-restricted erythropoiesis.

Hepcidin（HAMP）is a secreted protein that belongs to the hepcidin family.It is expressed in liver, heart and brain. It is involved in the maintenance of iron homeostasis, and it is necessary for the regulation of iron storage in macrophages, and for intestinal iron absorption. The preproprotein is post-translationally cleaved into mature peptides of 20, 22 and 25 amino acids, and these active peptides are rich in cysteines, which form intramolecular bonds that stabilize their beta sheet structures.