Background: Hereditary hemochromatosis is an autosomal recessive condition causing excessive intestinal iron absorption related to C282Y hemochromatosis mutation gene. Dialysis patients receive intravenous iron supplements as treatment for anemia. The gene mutation frequency and its influence on iron deposits and intravenous iron response are unknown in these patients.
Study design: Prospective observational.
Setting and participants: 290 dialysis patients in Gran Canaria, Spain.
Outcomes and measurements: The C282Y hemochromatosis mutation gene was studied. Other active players in iron metabolism have not been included in this study. Red cell parameters, serum iron, transferrin and ferritin concentrations were measured every 2 months for 2 years.
Results: No differences in allelic and genotypic frequencies between dialysis patients and the general population were detected. Baseline clinical or analytical parameters were similar in C282Y +/- and C282Y -/- patients. Among those who did not need intravenous iron treatment, C282Y+/- patients maintained constant serum ferritin (302.1 ± 216.7 vs. 319.5 ± 300.5 µg/l after 4 months), whereas C282Y-/- patients showed decreased levels during the same period (306.7 ± 212.2 vs. 221.6 ± 167.8 µg/l, p < 0.001). After 4 months of parenteral iron, serum ferritin increased more intensely in C282Y +/- patients than in C282Y -/- patients (934.2 ± 195.8 vs. 658.7 ± 259.9 µg/l, p < 0.001). A multivariance analysis identified the C282Y allele as the most important factor that explains this difference.
Conclusions: Heterozygosity for the C282Y allele of the hemochromatosis mutation gene could be associated with differences in iron parameters in dialysis patients.