Iron overload in patients with sideroblastic anaemia is not related to the presence of the haemochromatosis Cys282Tyr and His63Asp mutations

Forty Caucasian patients with primary acquired sideroblastic anaemia (SA), were investigated for the presence of the Cys282Tyr and/or His63Asp mutation as possible cofactor(s) for iron overload. One patient was heterozygous for the Cys282Tyr mutation and 13 heterozygotes and one homozygote for the His63Asp mutation were found (no difference compared with controls), SA patients with normal codon 63 had a mean ferritin level of 923 +/- 815 mu g/l whereas those with codon 63 mutation had 769 +/- 577 mu g/l (P=0.64). We conclude that ineffective erythropoiesis with no associated mutation in the HFE gene can lead to iron overload in SA patients.