Ferritin release by mononuclear cells in hereditary hemochromatosis

An anomaly of the iron-loading disorder hereditary hemochromatosis is that bone marrow iron stores remain low until later stages of the disease. The possibility that this may be related to a disorder of reticuloendothelial ferritin metabolism was examined by studying ferritin release from mononuclear cells. Ferritin release was measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from four patients with hemochromatosis who had not received treatment, from six patients with hemochromatosis who had received treatment, and from 10 age- and gender-matched controls by using a modified hemolytic plaque assay. Ferritin release from the hemochromatotic cells was enhanced when compared with that of controls, and added iron stimulated ferritin release to a comparable degree in both groups. Enhanced ferritin release above matched control values was found both in cells from patients with hemochromatosis with partial phlebotomy who had high serum ferritin values and in cells from patients with hemochromatosis with full phlebotomy who had normal serum ferritin values. The increased ferritin release observed in these studies may signify abnormal reticuloendothelial iron metabolism in hemochromatosis.