African iron overload

African iron overload. In this section, we discuss the effects of two other genes that seem to modulate the distribution and fate of intracellular iron and hence to alter the risk of (susceptibility to) and/or the course (outcome) of some infectious diseases. 

McNamaea L, MacPhail AP, Goedeuk VR, Has-STEDT SJ and Rouault T (1998) Is there a link between African iron overload and the described mutations of the hereditary haemochromatosis gene Br J Haematol 102 1176-1178. 

The discovery of the gene and of a mutation present in a high proportion of the first Caucasian patients examined raised the hope that the mutation alone would explain the variation seen in expression of the disease. The subsequent finding of lower frequencies among Italian and Afro-American patients [20, 21] and its absence in African hemochromatosis [22] confirmed that other factors must be critical in the regulation of iron overload. 

A form of iron overloading seen among the African population of Southern Africa. The excess iron intake comes mainly from beer which is often brewed in iron containers. 

Iron is another essential metal that can overload the body as a result of genetic disorders. Hereditary hemochromatosis and sub-Saharan African hemochromatosis are two examples. These two disorders differ in that hereditary hemochromatosis results in excessive iron when iron intake levels are normal, while sub-Saharan African hemochromatosis requires excessive intake of Fe coupled with a genetic predisposition to poorly regulate iron. Generally speaking, toxicity associated with excess essential metals tends to be rare, and it most frequently occurs in people who inappropriately consume dietary supplements. 

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