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Aims: Anemia is a global health concern affecting billions of people worldwide. The diagnostic approach to iron deficiency anemia could be streamlined in an attempt to increase diagnostic sensitivity and to reduce uncertainties in interpreting laboratory generated results. In doing so the introduction of hepcidin testing may prove to be useful but this requires the establishment of reference normal ranges. The main aim of this study was to establish reference values of hepcidin in the Namibian blood donor population which can be used as baseline or reference point in future hepcidin studies to be carried out in the same population. Methods: In establishing the reference range, a total of 40 healthy adult participants were randomly selected from eligible blood donors in Namibia. Venous blood samples from qualifying consenting donors were collected shortly before the blood donation session. The samples were refrigerated before being spun down for storage in a -70°C freezer to maintain sample integrity. On the day of testing samples were prepared for testing using an enzyme linked immunosorbent

The minimal or depression renal threshold for dog hemoglobin is not modified by moderate doses of mercuric chloride. This type of renal injury involves the epithelium of the convoluted tubules but the glomeruli escape. We are unable to explain our findings if we assume that the tubular epithelium takes an active part in the passage of dog hemoglobin from the blood into the urine. The evidence points toward the glomerular tuft as responsible for the passage of the hemoglobin from the blood plasma into the tubules. The glomerular tuft establishes the true hemoglobin threshold under these conditions. If the convoluted tubules are normal, we note that hemoglobin is taken into the epithelium and this explains the high initial renal threshold. With repeated hemoglobin injections this tubular epithelium becomes stuffed with hemoglobin pigment fractions and can absorb no more, which explains the minimal or depression threshold. Further injury of this tubular epithelium with mercury causes no change in this minimal renal threshold, unless we produce actual tubular obstruction.

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