HLA-A3 and serum iron. A study in an Irish control population.

In a control population of 127 healthy adults in the West of Ireland, the possession of the HLA-antigens associated with idiopathic haemochromatosis (IH), i.e. HLA-A3, B7 and B14 was not accompanied by higher levels of serum iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC) or transferrin saturation (TS%). HLA-A3 does not appear to confer enhanced ability to absorb dietary iron.