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Inflammatory iron sequestration, mediated by increased expression of hepcidin, is a central pathogenic mechanism in the anemia of inflammation. Principle cytokines involved in hepcidin upregulation include interleukin-6 as well as interleukin-1β (IL-β). Canakinumab, an IL-1β inhibitor, was previously studied in an industry-funded, international, randomized, placebo-controlled trial (CANTOS; N Engl J Med 2017; 377:1119) in patients with a history of myocardial infarction and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP; ≥2 mg/dL).
Now, through an exploratory analysis of the CANTOS trial, investigators report the effect of subcutaneous canakinumab (50, 150, or 300 mg once every 3 months) on hemoglobin values in 8638 participants without anemia (…