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Hyperferritinemia is another surrogate marker of advanced liver disease
May 13, 2009High serum ferritin, being a hallmark of hereditary hemochromatosis , is frequently found in chronic hepatitis C, alcoholic or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients . A study in Italy has investigated the link between ferritin and steatosis in a non-obese cohort of non-alcoholic patients. In southern European populations, high ferritin levels, after exclusion of diagnosis of HH, represent a risk factor for steatosis and clinical relevance, being associated with low platelet count.
Patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection often have elevated serum iron indices, but these do not accurately reflect hepatic iron content, nor are they able to predict clinically important endpoints, such as progression of fibrosis and responsiveness to interferon-based regimens. Studies that attempt to link iron and the course of chronic hepatitis C have been inconclusive. In chronic hepatitis C, steatosis is a common histological finding, occurring in 30%-70% of such patients. The biological mechanism underlying steatosis in HCV infection is not definitively understood, and is considered to be multifactorial with metabolic mechanisms, including insulin resistance and iron overload.
A research article to be published on May 7, 2009 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. The research team led by Professor Licata from Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit of Palermo University analyzed in a cross-sectional study, a cohort of non-obese, non-alcoholic patients with compensated chronic liver disease characterized by elevated serum ferritin levels, of varying etiology, excluding hemochromatosis, to reassess the link between hyperferritinemia and other markers of the metabolic syndrome, mainly steatosis. All data provide further evidence that hyperferritinemia might be another surrogate marker of advanced liver disease of any etiology.
World Journal of Gastroenterology
World Journal of Gastroenterology
Hemochromatosis Current Events and Hemochromatosis News RSSKey site in iron metabolism aids in diagnosing anemia of chronic disease
University of Utah School of Medicine researchers have developed a new tool that facilitates diagnosis of anemia related to chronic illness, as well as diseases of iron overload. The results of a study detailing the new tool are published in the August 2008 issue of the journal Cell Metabolism, a publication of Cell Press.
Europe's most common genetic disease is a liver disorder
Much less widely known than the dangerous consequences of iron deficiencies is the fact that too much iron can also cause problems. The exact origin of the genetic iron overload disorder hereditary hemochromatosis [HH] has remained elusive.
Study sheds important new light on inherited disorder causing iron overload
Research in today's New England Journal of Medicine (www.nejm.org) shows hereditary hemochromatosis is much more common than previously thought and will spur more study to determine who is most likely to develop complications from the debilitating and potentially fatal disease, write two faculty members at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine.
UB Scientist Discovers Novel Iron-Copper Alliance
Iron is the workhorse of trace minerals. An essential component of red blood cells, disruption of iron levels in the body will result in a myriad of serious conditions, and life cannot be sustained without it.
Carbon nanotubes that detect disease-causing mutations developed by Pitt researcher
University of Pittsburgh researcher Alexander Star and colleagues at California-based company Nanomix, Inc., have developed devices made of carbon nanotubes that can find mutations in genes causing hereditary diseases.
Unexpected link between gene in liver and iron overload
A new study in the December Cell Metabolism reveals an unexpected connection between a tumor suppressor gene in the liver and the normally careful control over the amount of iron absorbed from the diet.
New ways to prevent stroke and reduce excess iron in sickle cell anemia
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital will lead a national Phase III clinical trial to investigate whether a new combination treatment can prevent a secondary stroke in children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) and eliminate the need for nightly injections with a drug that reduces iron overload in these patients.
Hemochromatosis, Inflammation and Anemia: Researchers Discover a Surprising Link
Patients with inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, chronic infections and some types of cancer, often become anemic - a condition called anemia of chronic disease (ACD). While ACD rarely kills patients, it can make their lives miserable. A discovery at EMBL, in collaboration with researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School, now links the gene HFE to ACD. The HFE gene is mutated in patients suffering from the common iron overload disease hemochromatosis. This finding gives hope that one day an effective and specific therapy may be developed to treat ACD (featured in Nature Genetics, April 18, 2004). When people are infected with microbes, the level of iron in thei
A new hope for heavy metal contaminated soils
In the 1980s scientists began laboratory studies on metal hyperaccumulator plants, i.e. plants which accumulate exceptionally high concentrations of heavy metals in their above-ground biomass. This coincided with the recognition that a number of serious human diseases are the result of disruptions in metal homeostasis, for example Menke's disease, Wilson's disease, hemochromatosis and possibly Alzheimer and prion diseases. Indeed, metal ions are essential all across the kingdoms of life, buttheir role in biology is ambiguous: small amounts of metals like iron, manganese, zinc, copper and nickel are essential. However, serious damage occurs when any heavy metal is accumulated in excess or dis
What makes the body absorb too much iron? Researchers at EMBL and Harvard gain new insights into the most common inherited disease in the Western world
Like most nutrients, iron is good for people - in the right doses. When the body has enough iron, our cells stop absorbing it from food; if there is too little, they absorb more. This system breaks down in the most common inherited disease in the Western world: hemochromatosis, which affects about one in every 250 people and is often fatal if it is not recognized and treated. Now researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg (EMBL) and Harvard Medical School (U.S.) have linked the response of a gene in the liver to the disease. The study, which appears in the current issue of Nature Genetics, is changing our understanding of how hemochromatosis develops. "Untreated
More Hemochromatosis Current Events and Hemochromatosis News Articles
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The Iron Disorders Institute Guide to Hemochromatosis: A Genetic Disorder of Iron Metabolism by Wylie Burke (Author) Hemochromatosis is one of modern medicine's greatest oversights. A disorder that few Americans are able to pronounce at first glance, it is an inherited disorder of iron metabolism, not a blood disease, that can be fatal if not detected in time. Commonly misdiagnosed as arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, impotence, depression, and liver disease, hereditary hemochromatosis is common in people of northern European descent and is most prominent among the Scotch-Irish. The Iron Disorders Institute Guide to Hemochromatosis is a reference book for home use. It contains helpful charts, diet and nutritional information, treatment guidelines, a glossary of terms, and compelling personal stories of people living with the disorder. Written by the top researchers and experts in university... |
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The Hemochromatosis Cookbook: Recipes and Meals for Reducing the Absorption of Iron in Your Diet by Cheryl Garrison (Author), Richard A. Passwater (Author) Hemochromatosis is one of modern medicine's greatest oversights. An inherited metabolic iron disorder, it is most common in people of Northern European descent and most prominent in North America among the Scotch-Irish. For people with metabolic iron disorders, controlling the intake of iron contributes to wellness and the prevention of such chronic diseases as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, liver disease, impotence, and depression. The Hemochromatosis Cookbook is written specifically for those who suffer from such iron disorders. It has chapters on all of the traditional categories found in most cookbooks: appetizers, salads, fruits and vegetables, main courses and casseroles, breads and muffins, and desserts. In addition, The Hemochromatosis Cookbook is characterized by... |
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The Iron Disorders Institute Guide to Hemochromatosis by Cheryl Garrison (Author) More than one million Americans suffer from Hemochromatosis, and most have to suffer through misdiagnoses and multiple doctor visits before finding the right treatment. If left untreated, Hemochromatosis can lead to heart attack, diabetes, cirrhosis, or cancer. Written by top medical researchers and experts, this comprehensive and reliable guide dispels the myths, explains the basic science behind the disease, and provides clues for diagnosis. It also includes inspiring case studies, treatment options, common questions, advocacy resources, and more. The number-one bestselling and most comprehensive guide, now updated with the latest scientific research The popular first edition has net sales of more than 11,000 copies; second edition is updated with the latest... |
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Living with Hemochromatosis by Gregory T Everson MD FACP (Author), Marilyn Olsen (Author) One of the most common genetic disorders in America is also one of the most frequently misdiagnosed. But anyone who has just learned they have hemochromatosis will have lots of questions: How did I get it? Can I pass it to my children? How can I avoid organ damage? The answers are in Living with Hemochromatosis by Dr. Gregory T. Everson and Hedy Weinberg. Over 30 million people in the United States carry the gene for hemochromatosis, and almost 2 million have developed the condition. Hemochromatosis, also known as "iron overload" or "bronze diabetes," causes the body to retain much more iron than it should. Because it is often not diagnosed until the patient is over 40 years old, the long-term iron buildup can damage not only cells and tissues, but also larger organs including the... |
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The Official Patient's Sourcebook on Hemochromatosis by James N. Parker (Editor), Philip M. Parker (Editor) This book has been created for patients who have decided to make education and research an integral part of the treatment process. Although it also gives information useful to doctors, caregivers and other health professionals, it tells patients where and how to look for information covering virtually all topics related to hemochromatosis (also Bronze Diabetes; Cirrhosis, congenital pigmentary; Familial Hemochromatosis; Hemochromatosis Syndrome; Hemosiderosis; Iron Overload Disease), from the essentials to the most advanced areas of research. The title of this book includes the word official. This reflects the fact that the sourcebook draws from public, academic, government, and peer-reviewed research. Selected readings from various agencies are reproduced to give you some of the latest... |
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Exposing the Hidden Dangers of Iron: What Every Medical Professional Should Know About the Impact of Iron on the Disease Process by E.D., Ph.D. Weinberg (Author), Cheryl D. Garrison (Author) Iron is one of the most frequently purchased over-the-counter supplements, second only to vitamin C and calcium. The danger is that, once absorbed, iron can only be excreted in minute amounts of less than one milligram a day (or by heavy blood loss), and excess iron collects in a person's vital organs, thus, setting the disease process under way. As organs literally rust away, patients can experience early death by heart attack, arthritis, liver, pancreatic and colon cancer, increased infections, cirrhosis, diabetes, neurological problems, loss of hearing, tinnitus, depression, impotence, and infertility. Scientists have now discovered a connection to iron impropriety and Alzheimer's, early onset Parkinson's, Huntington's, attention deficit disorder, and epilepsy. Exposing the... |
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The Bronze Killer : New Edition by Marie Warder (Author) Hemochromatosis — not too many people know the definition of the word or realize just how deadly a disease it can be. Marie Warder found out first hand when her husband became sick. For six years, she watched as his eyesight deteriorated, his personality changed and he grew sicker. Finally, a doctor diagnosed the problem: an overload of iron in his body. Luckily, it was caught in time and he was bled a gallon of blood per month to save his life. In The Bronze Killer, Warder provides much needed information about this common enemy, from recognizing its symptoms to stressing the importance of early detection and treatment. Recommended by physicians in many hospitals and also includes a layman’s reference on the disease, Iron…The Other Side of the Story! |
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21st Century Ultimate Medical Guide to Hemochromatosis - Authoritative Clinical Information for Physicians and Patients (Two CD-ROM Set) by PM Medical Health News (Author) This up-to-date and comprehensive set of two CD-ROM discs provides a superb collection of official Federal government documents on the subject of hemochromatosis. Hemochromatosis is an inherited disease in which too much iron builds up in your body. It is one of the most common genetic diseases in the United States. Iron is a mineral found in many foods. Your body normally absorbs about 10 percent of the iron in the food you eat. If you have hemochromatosis, you absorb more iron than you need. Your body has no natural way to get rid of the extra iron. It stores it in body tissues, especially the liver, heart and pancreas. The extra iron can damage your organs. Without treatment, it can cause your organs to fail. For patients, practical information is provided in clearly written patient... |
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Hemochromatosis: Genetics, Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Treatment by James C. Barton (Editor), Corwin Q. Edwards (Editor) Once considered a rare condition, hemochromatosis is now acknowledged as one of the commonest inherited disorders, affecting one in two hundred people of Western Caucasian descent and in the U.S. alone, over one million people. This is the most comprehensive clinical reference yet on hemochromatosis. The international team of 94 authors from twelve countries includes specialists in internal medicine, hematology, hepatology, genetics, biochemistry, and molecular biology. In 57 in-depth chapters they cover all aspects of pathophysiology, epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment. The text thoroughly explains the latest developments in the genetics of the disorder, including sections on screening, diagnostic techniques, and clinical complications. In addition, chapters consider social and... |
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Cooking With Less Iron: Easy-To-Prepare, Reasonably Priced Meals That Reduce the Amount of Iron in Your Diet by Richard A. Passwater (Author) Hemochromatosis is one of modern medicine's greatest oversights. An inherited metabolic iron disorder, it is most common in people of northern European descent and most prominent among Scotch-Irish. For people with metabolic iron disorders, controlling one's intake of iron contributes to wellness and the prevention of such chronic diseases as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, liver disease, impotence, and depression. Cooking With Less Iron is designed specifically for those who suffer from such iron disorders. It has chapters on appetizers, salads, fruits and vegetables, main courses (including casseroles), breads and muffins, and desserts. |
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