Hereditary hemochromatosis is a genetic disease in which iron is deposited in body tissues.
When hemochromatosis is detected early, organ damage can be prevented by routinely removing blood. Standard screening tests for hemochromatosis include blood tests that indicate body levels of iron. Recently, a test was developed for the HFE gene, the gene that is most commonly affected in hereditary hemochromatosis. The relationship between these mutations in the HFE gene and standard screening tests for body iron stores has not been well studied. To determine the frequency of the mutations of the hemochromatosis gene in various ethnic groups and describe results of standard laboratory tests in persons with the mutations.