Hereditary hemochromatosis and iron overload diseases

efflux pathway is mediated by IREG 1, however, extracellular ceruloplasmin as a ferroxidase is required. Iron uptake and release by cells are tightly regulated processes.The expression of ferritin,TfR, DMT1, IREG 1 and several other genes is regulated posttranscriptionally by the IRE/IRP system and in some cases the molecules involved are subjected to transcriptional and/or post-translational regulation. At the whole body level regulation is also very important. Intestinal iron uptake must be tightly controlled since iron excretion is very limited and, since excess iron is toxic, iron absorption is finely attuned to bone iron needs. The hemochromatosis gene (HFE) and its protein product play an important role in determining how the intestine responds to body iron requirements, but the precise mechanisms involved have yet to be elucidated.