Appropriate Clinical Genetic Testing of Hemochromatosis Type 2–4, Including Ferroportin Disease

Abstract

Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is an inherited iron overload disorder due to a deficiency of hepcidin, or a failure of hepcidin to degrade ferroportin. The most common form of HH, Type 1 HH, is most commonly due to a homozygous C282Y mutation in HFE and is relatively well understood in significance and action; however, other rare forms of HH (Types 2–4) exist and are more difficult to identify and diagnose in clinical practice. In this review, we describe the clinical characteristics of HH Type 2–4 and the mutation patterns that have been described in these conditions. We also review the different methods for genetic testing available in clinical practice and a pragmatic approach to the patient with suspected non-HFE HH.

Keywords:

• non-HFE
• hemochromatosis
• juvenile hemochromatosis
• ferroportin disease
• transferrin-receptor 2
• HAMP
• hepcidin

Disclosure

Dr Kris V Kowdley reports grants, personal fees from La Jolla, personal fees from Protagonist, during the conduct of the study. The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work.