Hepcidin, Serum Iron, and Transferrin Saturation in Full-Term and Premature Infants during the First Month of Life: A State-of-the-Art Review of Existing Evidence in Humans.

Neonates regulate iron at birth and in early postnatal life. We reviewed literature from PubMed and Ovid Medline containing data on umbilical cord and venous blood concentrations of hepcidin and iron, and transferrin saturation (TSAT), in human neonates from 0 to 1 mo of age. Data from 59 studies were used to create reference ranges for hepcidin, iron, and TSAT for full-term-birth (FTB) neonates over the first month of life. In FTB neonates, venous hepcidin increases 100% over the first month of life (to reach 61.1 ng/mL; 95% CI: 20.1, 102.0 ng/mL) compared with umbilical cord blood (29.7 ng/mL; 95% CI: 21.1, 38.3 ng/mL). Cord blood has a high concentration of serum iron (28.4 μmol/L; 95% CI: 26.0, 31.1 μmol/L) and levels of TSAT (51.7%; 95% CI: 46.5%, 56.9%). After a short-lived immediate postnatal hypoferremia, iron and TSAT rebounded to approximately half the levels in the cord by the end of the first month. There were insufficient data to formulate reference ranges for preterm neonates

Relation between fat and bitter detection thresholds and weight status

Introduction. It is generally accepted that humans have the ability to detect five basic tastes (sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami). However, there is common agreement for a sixth fat flavor. Many studies suggest that bitter taste and fat taste could interfere with each other. Objective. This study aimed to investigate the link between bitter taste threshold, fat perception and its association with weight status in Algerian adults. Material and methods. Through a public advertisement, 130 young individuals (33 males/97 females), between 20 and 35 years old, were recruited. Weight, height and body mass index (BMI) were measured. The determination of detection thresholds for oleic acid (OA) and 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) was performed. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS. Results. According to PROP sensitivity, 33% of adults were non tasters, 6% were medium tasters and 60% were super tasters. Taster partici-pants had less BMI compared with non-tasters (P=0.005). Detection thresholds for OA increased with BMI (Rho=0.203, p=0.021). A significant correlation was identified between the detection thresholds for OA and detection thresholds for PROP (Rho= 0.349, p<0.0001). PROP tasters gave higher taste intensity ratings for OA compared with PROP non-tasters (p=0.012). Conclusion. Our findings confirm the hypothesis that fat and bitter detection thresholds may interact with each other. Future behavioural and genetic investigations will be required to confirm this association in various populations