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The term hemochromatosis was initially used to refer to what is now more specifically called hemochromatosis type 1 (or HFE-related hereditary hemochromatosis). Currently, hemochromatosis (without further specification) is mostly defined as iron overload with a hereditary or primary cause, [11] [12] or originating from a metabolic disorder. [13]
Iron metabolism disorders may involve a number of genes including HFE and TFR2. [ 1 ] Hepcidin is the master regulator of iron metabolism and, therefore, most genetic forms of iron overload can be thought of as relative hepcidin deficiency in one way or another [1] .
This finding is consistent with the concept that excess iron metabolism is a primary cause of haemochromatosis disease. [83] Finally, in 1976, Marcel Simon and his collaborators confirmed that haemochromatosis is an autosomal recessive disorder that has a link to the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region of the genome.
Type 1 hemochromatosis is one of the most common genetic disorders in the United States, affecting about 1 million people. It most often affects people of Northern European descent. The other types of hemochromatosis are considered rare and have been studied in only a small number of families worldwide. [6]
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a spectrum of disease associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome. [9] Hereditary diseases that cause damage to the liver include hemochromatosis, [10] involving accumulation of iron in the body, and Wilson's disease.
The exact mechanisms of most of the various forms of adult hemochromatosis, which make up most of the genetic iron overload disorders, remain unsolved. So, while researchers have been able to identify genetic mutations causing several adult variants of hemochromatosis, they now must turn their attention to the normal function of these mutated ...
[20] [21] The homozygous H63D variant is an indicator of the iron metabolism disorder hemochromatosis, which may increase the risk of developing a fatty liver. [22] In patients with a cirrhotic liver, the mutation can increase the rate of liver cancer. [6] [23] [24]
Ten to fifteen genetic NBIA disorders involving various cell processes have been identified: iron metabolism, coenzyme A biosynthesis, phospholipid metabolism, ceramide metabolism, lysosomal disorders, as well as mutations in genes with unknown functions. [5] [4] Onset can occur at different ages, from early childhood to late adulthood. [4]