Frequency of the hemochromatosis HFE mutations C282Y, H63D, and S65C in blood donors in the Faroe Islands

The aim of the study was to assess the frequencies of the hereditary hemochromatosis HFE mutations C282Y, H63D, and S65C in the population in the Faroe Islands. The series comprised 200 randomly selected blood donors of Faroese heritage. The frequency of the C282Y, H63D, and S65C mutations on the HFE gene was assessed by genotyping using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique and calculated from direct allele counting. We found no C282Y homozygous subjects; 28 (14.0%) subjects were C282Y heterozygous and four subjects were C282Y/ H63D compound heterozygous (2.0%). The C282Y allele frequency was 8.0% ( 95% CI 5.3-10.7%). The series contained three (1.5%) H63D homozygous subjects and 60 ( 30.0%) H63D heterozygous subjects. The H63D allele frequency was 17.5% ( 95% CI 13.8 - 21.2%). There were four ( 2.0%) S65C heterozygous subjects. The S65C allele frequency was 1.0% ( 95% CI 0.3-2.5%). The frequency of the C282Y mutation is high in Faroese blood donors, being close to and not significantly different from the frequencies reported in other Scandinavian countries: Denmark 5.7%, Norway 6.6%, Iceland 5.1%, and Sweden 6.1%. The frequency of the H63D mutation in Faroese subjects is significantly higher than the frequency in Denmark 12.8% ( p= 0.007), Iceland 10.9% ( p= 0.003), and Sweden 12.4% ( p= 0.015), but not from the frequency in Norway 11.2% ( p= 0.063). The frequency of the S65C mutation in Faroese subjects is not significantly different from the frequencies in Denmark 1.5% and Sweden 1.6%. Screening of larger groups of the Faroese population for HFE mutations especially C282Y should be considered in order to establish the penetrance.