African iron overload is a distinct iron-loading disorder prevalent in Africa. Formerly termed Bantu siderosis, the disorder results from a predisposition to iron loading that is exacerbated by excessive intake of dietary iron. It is particularly a problem ... African iron overload is a distinct iron-loading disorder prevalent in Africa. Formerly termed Bantu siderosis, the disorder results from a predisposition to iron loading that is exacerbated by excessive intake of dietary iron. It is particularly a problem among Africans who drink a traditional beer brewed in non-galvanized steel drums. Although the disorder was once attributed to dietary excess alone, serious iron overload does not develop in all beer drinkers, and not all patients with iron overload consume excessive amounts of the beer (summary by Andrews, 1999).
The pattern of iron deposition among persons with African iron overload differs from that among those with hereditary hemochromatosis (see 235200) (Gangaidzo et al., 1999). In the former persons, there is marked iron loading of Kupffer cells as ... The pattern of iron deposition among persons with African iron overload differs from that among those with hereditary hemochromatosis (see 235200) (Gangaidzo et al., 1999). In the former persons, there is marked iron loading of Kupffer cells as well as hepatocytes, resembling the pattern seen in patients with transfusional siderosis and suggesting a defect in erythroid iron recycling. Cirrhosis, occasionally complicated by hepatocellular carcinoma, is the predominant organ manifestation. Cardiomyopathy and diabetes, common features of hereditary hemochromatosis, are less frequent. Although serum ferritin levels are elevated, the transferrin saturation does not always reflect the true extent of iron overload in these patients (summary by Andrews, 1999). Patients with African iron overload are probably more susceptible than others to infection, and they appear to have an increased incidence of tuberculosis (Gordeuk et al., 1996; Moyo et al., 1997).
In a study of 1,042 African chromosomes, Merryweather-Clarke et al. (1997) found a prevalence of 0% for the HFE C282Y mutation (613609.0001), the most common cause of hereditary hemochromatosis in persons of European descent. PCR analysis of DNA ... In a study of 1,042 African chromosomes, Merryweather-Clarke et al. (1997) found a prevalence of 0% for the HFE C282Y mutation (613609.0001), the most common cause of hereditary hemochromatosis in persons of European descent. PCR analysis of DNA from 25 southern Africans, identified by segregation analysis as having a high probability of carrying the putative African iron-loading gene, failed to identify any subjects with the C282Y mutation (McNamara et al., 1998). Clinically significant iron overload occurs in Americans of African descent (Barton et al., 1995; Wurapa et al., 1996; Baer, 1996), but such persons rarely have mutations in the HFE gene (Monaghan et al., 1998).