Post-prandial iron absorption in humans: Comparison between HFE genotypes and iron deficiency anaemia

Background & aims: Measurement of serum iron increase after ingestion of a meat could be an efficient method of comparing post-prandial iron absorption between groups of individuals. We determined whether the rise in post-prandial, serum iron is increased in fully treated patients with hereditary haemochromatosis (HFE C282Y+/+; HH) compared to iron deficiency anaemia (IDA), iron-replete heterozygous subjects (HFE C282Y+/-) and iron-replete controls (HFE C282Y-/-). Methods: Serum iron increase was measured over 4 h after a meat containing 13.1 mg non-haem iron. Results: Post-prandial increase in serum iron was similar in treated HH versus IDA (P = 0.54), but greater than control subjects (P < 0.0001). In five HH patients, using 58 Fe as a tracer, the rate of iron absorption was increased (P < 0.05) and serum non-transferrin bound iron showed a tendency to increase (P = 0.06). Serum iron curves did not differ for heterozygous subjects and controls (P = 0.65). Conclusions: Using the serum iron method we found a comparable increase in post-prandial iron absorption in treated HH and IDA compared with controls. White post-prandial iron absorption in the group heterozygous for the C282Y mutation was modestly increased relative to controls, this difference was not statistically significant. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.