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Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Measurement of Heme Synthesis Levels in Mammalian Cells
Published on: July 9, 2015
Reduced serum ceruloplasmin levels in hereditary haemochromatosis
1Istituto di Patologia Generale -- IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore, Università di Milano, Italy. gaetano.cairo@unimi.it
As ceruloplasmin (Cp) seems to be involved in iron mobilization, serum Cp levels were measured in 35 patients with hereditary haemochromatosis (HH), 12 with acquired iron overload (AIO) and 36 healthy subjects. Cp was lower in HH patients than in controls (P < 0.001); no difference was found between untreated HH patients and those on a phlebotomy programme (P = 0.07) and between the HH patients carrying the normal and the mutated alleles of the HFE gene (P = 0.8). Cp levels in AIO subjects were significantly higher than in HH patients (P < 0.004) and similar to those of controls (P = 0.2). No differences in albumin, alpha1 acid glycoprotein and copper serum levels were observed in the three groups.
As ceruloplasmin (Cp) seems to be involved in iron mobilization, serum Cp levels were measured in 35 patients with hereditary haemochromatosis (HH), 12 with acquired iron overload (AIO) and 36 healthy subjects. Cp was lower in HH patients than in controls (P < 0.001); no difference was found between untreated HH patients and those on a phlebotomy programme (P = 0.07) and between the HH patients carrying the normal and the mutated alleles of the HFE gene (P = 0.8). Cp levels in AIO subjects were significantly higher than in HH patients (P < 0.004) and similar to those of controls (P = 0.2). No differences in albumin, alpha1 acid glycoprotein and copper serum levels were observed in the three groups.

