Gene Found for Iron Buildup
By The Associated Press
Published: July 31, 1996
RESEARCHERS have discovered a gene responsible for most cases of a common hereditary disorder, hemochromatosis, also known as iron overload disease. While it is not serious, it can lead to other health problems if not diagnosed.
Hemochromatosis afflicts about one in 400 people of northern European descent. Those who have it absorb too much iron into their bodies, causing the mineral to be deposited in organs like the liver and pancreas, where iron buildup can eventually cause cirrhosis and other severe problems. However, it is easy to treat. Patients simply lower the amount of iron in their bodies by periodically giving blood.
Finding a gene for hemochromatosis will help lead to a test for the disease and help prevent serious cases, say researchers at Mercator Genetics Inc., of Menlo Park, Calif., where the discovery was made.
"There's a major value in a diagnostic test that can identify 87 percent of the patients," said Elliot Sigal, chief executive officer and president of Mercator.
The gene discovery, announced in the August issue of the journal Nature Genetics, makes possible a genetic test for hemochromatosis. Mercator officials predict a test will be available to doctors in about a year.
But Margit Krikker, medical director of the Hemochromatosis Foundation in Albany, N.Y., complained about the way Mercator was handling the discovery, saying that by filing a patent for the gene, Mercator had limited other scientists' research opportunities.