Post-prandial iron absorption in humans: comparison between HFE genotypes and iron deficiency anaemia.
OBJECTIVE
Measurement of serum iron increase after ingestion of a meal could be an efficient method of comparing post-prandial iron absorption between groups of individuals. We determined whether the rise in post-prandial serum iron is increased in fully treated patients with hereditary haemochromatosis (HFE C282Y+/+; HH) compared to iron deficiency anaemia (IDA), iron-replete heterozygous subjects (HFE C282Y+/-) and iron-replete controls (HFE C282Y-/-).


METHODS
Serum iron increase was measured over 4h after a meal containing 13.1 mg non-haem iron.


RESULTS
Post-prandial increase in serum iron was similar in treated HH versus IDA (P=0.54), but greater than control subjects (P<0.0001). In five HH patients, using (58)Fe as a tracer, the rate of iron absorption was increased (P<0.05) and serum non-transferrin bound iron showed a tendency to increase (P=0.06). Serum iron curves did not differ for heterozygous subjects and controls (P=0.65).


CONCLUSIONS
Using the serum iron method we found a comparable increase in post-prandial iron absorption in treated HH and IDA compared with controls. While post-prandial iron absorption in the group heterozygous for the C282Y mutation was modestly increased relative to controls, this difference was not statistically significant.
Hutchinson
Carol
C
The Iron Metabolism Interdisciplinary Research Group, King's College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9HN, UK.
Conway
Rana E
RE
Bomford
Adrian
A
Hider
Robert C
RC
Powell
Jonathan J
JJ
Geissler
Catherine A
CA
D000328:Adult; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D019540:Area Under Curve; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D005838:Genotype; D006432:Hemochromatosis / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071020:Hemochromatosis Protein; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006579:Heterozygote; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D007503:Iron Isotopes; D019266:Iron, Dietary / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D019518:Postprandial Period
C103673:HFE protein, human; D000071020:Hemochromatosis Protein; D006454:Hemoglobins; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D007503:Iron Isotopes; D019266:Iron, Dietary; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron