Scientists have found out the role of the hormone FGF23 in the development of anemia

The hormone FGF23 suppresses the production of red blood cells and can provoke anemia in chronic kidney disease, scientists from Northwestern University (USA) have concluded. This was reported on June 9 in the journal Medical Xpress.

"When iron is in short supply — as in iron deficiency anemia or anemia in chronic kidney disease — this hormone acts as a brake and stops erythroid precursors from using up all available iron just to differentiate into poorly functioning mature erythroid cells," explained senior author Valentin David, Professor of Medicine.

Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23) is a hormone that regulates phosphate metabolism. It is produced by osteocytes — cells of mature bone — and erythroid cells derived from hematopoietic stem cells. Elevated levels of circulating FGF23 were previously associated with impaired erythropoiesis in iron deficiency anemia and chronic kidney disease, but the specific role of each hormone source remained unclear.

David's team bred mice with conditional FGF23 gene deactivation, separately in osteocytes and separately in erythroid cells, and transferred the animals to either a standard or an iron-deficient diet. In mice without iron, disabling FGF23 in erythroid cells eliminated anemia. On the contrary, the removal of the enzyme furin, which cleaves FGF23, increased the level of the active form of the hormone and provoked anemia. In models of chronic kidney disease, exclusion of FGF23 from erythroid cells also prevented the development of anemia.

David also identified a therapeutic problem: FGF23 cannot be completely blocked in kidney diseases, since this hormone simultaneously protects against a dangerous increase in blood phosphate levels. According to him, the task is to find mechanisms for targeting specific isoforms and cells that produce FGF23 in various pathologies.

On May 6, Samvel Baghdasaryan, Candidate of Medical Sciences, coloproctologist and founder of KDS Clinics, spoke about the causes of chronic fatigue. He clarified that fatigue can hide such health problems as anemia, autoimmune processes, depression, vitamin and micronutrient deficiencies, thyroid disorders, diabetes mellitus or cardiovascular diseases. According to the expert, this is largely due to the lifestyle that has become perceived as the norm — chronic lack of sleep, high stress levels, work without full recovery, which gradually deplete the body.