Iron is an essential element that performs a number of functions in the body, including oxygen transport. Too much iron in the body, called hemochromatosis, can cause serious health problems, particularly in the liver. Hemochromatosis occurs both as an inherited disease and as a secondary disease as a result of other health problems.
Causes
A defect in a gene called HFE, which occurs mostly in Caucasians of European descent, can cause primary hemochromatosis. If you inherit one HFE gene from each parent, you may develop hemochromatosis. Around five in 1,000 people inherit two copies of the gene and may develop the disease, the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse reports. Juvenile and neonatal hemochromatosis are caused by a genetic mutation in hemojuvelin. Men often develop symptoms between the ages of 30 and 50, while women develop symptoms around age 50, on average, according to the NDDIC. Secondary hemochromatosis develops as a result of alcoholism and anemia, among other diseases.
Result
Normally only around 10 percent of dietary iron is absorbed by your body. People with hemochromatosis absorb as much as 30 percent of the iron they take in. Because iron isn't excreted, excess amounts build up in the tissues, particularly the tissues in the liver, heart and pancreas.
Effects
As iron builds up in the liver, it causes enlargement of the liver, followed by fibrosis, destruction of the liver cells. Cirrhosis occurs when enough of the liver is destroyed by scarring that the liver can no longer perform its normal functions. Liver biopsy, removal of a small part of the liver for examination under a microscope, helps diagnose hemochromatosis and establish the amount of damage done to the liver.
Complications
Cirrhosis may require liver transplantation. Liver cancer also occurs commonly in people with hemochromatosis, with an increased risk of 200-fold, according to a December 2003 article in "Gastroenterology" published by lead author Dr. Maria Elmberg of the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm.
Treatment
Phlebotomy, regular removal of blood intravenously, acts as an effective treatment for hemochromatosis. Since iron is carried on red blood cells, removing part of the blood decreases the amount of iron circulating in the body. Phlebotomy won't, however, reverse cirrhosis or scarring that has already occurred in the liver. Because alcohol abuse and hepatitis C infection can worsen liver disease, identifying and treating these diseases also helps prevent complications, Bruce Bacon, M.D. Professor of Internal Medicine of the Saint Louis School of Medicine states on UpToDate.
