Fleet J C
Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston MA 02111, USA.
Nutr Rev. 1996 Sep;54(9):285-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.1996.tb03949.x.
The identity of the protein responsible for hemochromatosis, the iron overload disease, has eluded scientists for years. However, a recent report identifies the gene where the hemochromatosis defect lies. It is a gene that encodes a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class-1-like protein called HLA-H. The mechanism by which an HLA-H defect alters iron metabolism is still unidentified. However, this new discovery will certainly ignite a new wave of study into the physiology of iron metabolism and its regulation.