We recently reported the positional cloning of a candidate gene for hereditary hemochromatosis called HFE. The gene product, a member of the major histocompatibility complex class I-like family, was found to have a mutation, Cys-282 --> Tyr (C282Y), in 85% of patient chromosomes. This mutation eliminates the ability of HFE to associate with beta2-microglobulin (beta2m) and prevents cell-surface...

BACKGROUND Liver cirrhosis may lead to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), regardless of its cause. Genetic and/or environmental factors may modulate the risk of HCC. Mutations in the HFE gene are responsible for genetic haemochromatosis, a condition known to be associated with liver cirrhosis, HCC, or both. It has recently been suggested that the C282Y HFE gene mutation may be more frequent in pat...

OBJECTIVE To assess the frequency of 2 different forms of hemochromatosis HFE gene mutations (C282Y and H63D mutations) in a normal population in comparison with type 2 diabetic patients. METHODS This case control study was undertaken in Zanjan Diabetic Care Center, Zanjan, western Tehran, in 2005. Two hundred and two individuals were included in this study: 101 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM...

HFE, an atypical MHC class I type molecule, has a critical, yet still elusive function in the regulation of systemic iron metabolism. HFE mutations are linked to hereditary haemochromatosis type 1, a common autosomal recessive disorder of iron overload. Most patients are homozygous for a C282Y point mutation that abrogates the interaction of HFE with beta(2)-microglobulin (beta(2)M) and, thus, ...

Objectives: Excess iron stores have been postulated to enhance the risk of ischaemic heart disease. This study aims to determine whether the two major mutations of the haemochromatosis (HFE) gene (C282Y and H63D) are associated with ischaemic heart disease (IHD) or myocardial infarction (MI). Design: Cross sectional case–control study. Setting: The geographical area studied by the MONICA (monit...

Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is an autosomal recessive disorder that leads to progressive iron accumulation and may cause cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, diabetes, and heart failure. Most cases of HH have been linked to mutations in genes associated with iron homeostasis. There have been three major variants in the high Fe (HFE) gene associated with the disease: C282Y, H63D and S65C. In...

BACKGROUND The human HFE gene (a key component of iron homeostasis in humans) is involved in hereditary hemochromatosis, a common autosomal recessive genetic disorder that is characterized by excessive intestinal iron absorption and progressive iron overload. OBJECTIVES In this study, we assessed the frequency of two common forms of hemochromatosis HFE gene mutation (C282Y and H63D) in patien...

Information on the level of iron stores in chronic hepatitis C is clinically important because its reduction is technically simple and therapeutically effective. This study was performed to measure the levels of iron stores from the total amounts of hemoglobin removed during iron reduction therapy. The C282Y and H63D mutations of HFE gene were analyzed in 94 patients. All of the patients were n...

BACKGROUND The diagnosis of genetic haemochromatosis (GH) before iron overload has developed is difficult. However a convincing candidate gene for GH, HFE (previously HLA-H), has been described recently. AIMS To determine the prevalence of the haemochromatosis associated HFE mutations C282Y and H63D in United Kingdom affected and control populations. METHODS The prevalence of the HFE C282Y ...