Lecture 21: Iron Status 2 Flashcards
What are examples of iron overload?
- Acute iron toxicity
- Hereditary haemochromatosis
- African iron overload
What type of condition is hereditary haemochromatosis?
Autosomal recessive condition
What happens during hereditary haemochromatosis?
- Poor control of iron absorption
- Iron accumulates in liver, pancreas, heart muscle
Where is the mutation that causes hereditary haemochromatosis found?
the C282Y of the HFE gene
- position 282 on the HFE gene
Is treatment of hereditary haemochromatosis effective?
Very effective if started early
What serum ferritin levels indicate hereditary haemochromatosis?
> 300 ug/L in males
200 ug/L in females
What transferrin saturation indicates hereditary haemochromatosis?
> 45% men and women
Aswell as the biochemical indices, to diagnose hereditary haemochromatosis we need…
- Confirmation of the genetic mutation
- Showing symptoms
What are the clinical methods used to detect signs and symptoms?
A medical history and a physical examination
What are the main symptoms of IDA?
Fatigue and spoon shaped nails
How can iron status be analysed on an individual level?
- Screening
- Clinical assessment
How can iron status be analysed on a population level?
- Prevalence estimates of deficiency
- Planning appropriate interventions
- Evaluating impact of interventions
What context to we need think about during individual assessment of Fe status?
- Availability of assay
- Usefulness
- Cost
What are the main indices used during individual assessment of Fe status?
- Haemoglobin
- Serum ferritin & C-reactive protein
Maybe - Serum Fe, TS
What factors affect validity of iron cut offs?
- Method of blood collection
- Fasting status
- Time of day
- Equipment used
- Infection
- Genetics
