Impact of Bloodletting on Iron Metabolism in Type 1 Hemochromatosis

Hemochromatosis type 1 is one of the most frequent genetic disease since the genetic predisposition (homozygosity for the C282Y mutation of the HFE gene) is encountered in about 3/1000 white subjects (5/1000 in Brittany, France). For the half of these predisposed subjects, the phenotypic expression of the disease needs a treatment. This treatment is based upon repeated bloodletting which is generally considered as simple, safe and effective. Nevertheless, it is still questioned as regard its physiopathological justification and its clinical implications. Indeed, bloodletting could cause an increase of non-transferrin bound iron (NTBI) particularly for its reactive form called labile plasma iron (LPI) This adverse physiopathological effect could have clinical consequences and could be linked with articular consequences which can be aggravated by the treatment.