Program
#748.2, Experimental Biology 2001, Orlando, FL 3/31-4/4/01
FDA Now Approves
Hemochromatosis Blood As Normal Donor
Blood. Measuring Serum Iron Status As Part Of Routine Blood Testing Will: 1.
Prevent Phenotypic Disease In Millions; 2. Save Healthcare $Billions; 3. End
U.S. Biannual Blood Shortages.
Victor Herbert1,
Morton Spivack2:
1Mount Sinai-NYU Health System & Bronx VA Medical Center, 130
West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468, 2Mount Sinai-NYU Health
System, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, Bx 1024, New York, NY 10029.
A startling ~12% of Americans have heterozygous (H) hemochromatosis. ~1%
are homozygous (HH). H absorb ~50% more food iron daily; HH ~300% more. Genotype
(predisposition) is diagnosed by high serum iron, transferrin saturation,
ferritin, and ferritin iron. Insidiously increasing stored iron produces
insidiously progressive multi-organ damage (phenotype), even in H
(Sullivan. Circulation 100: 1260-3; 1999), prevented by routine
phlebotomies. FDA prohibited any therapeutic phlebotomy blood as donor blood. We
petitioned FDA to make an exception for hemochromatosis blood. When DHHS agreed
ìblood products obtained from persons with hemochromatosis carry no known
increased risk...the Department should...eliminate barriers to using this
resourceî(dhhs.gov. Search, Apr99 Adv Comm), we asked FDA for a variance to
use it, promising to treat it like any other donor blood (i.e. not charge the
donor; determine it is virus-free; follow recipients for adverse effects; keep
computer records for 10 years). FDA granted it 11/11/99. NY State approved it,
so we now offer free phlebotomies to all with a doctorís note stating they
have H or HH and need phlebotomy. They are our ìwalking blood banksî, with
their blood types in our computer files. Each gladly donates whenever we need
fresh blood of their type. ACTION: To keep genotypes healthy, save health
care $billions, and forever end blood shortages (just 1 unit/yr from each
healthy U.S. >age 17 genotype (H and HH) = ~22 million
units/yr, vs current total need of ~13 million units/yr), blood banks should
publicize that they offer donors free measurement of blood iron, and every
healthy person, >age
17, to benefit not only others but also themselves, should donate a unit
of blood, because ~12% of Americans, most of whom donít know it, have
familial high body iron, and giving blood will prevent progressing tiredness,
sterility, arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, and liver disease, when caused by
unrecognized high body iron.
V.H. CV#835EB2001
Poster Session 748. Iron Nutrition and Status.
Tuesday, April 3, 2001 at EB 2001 held at the Orange County Convention Center,
Orlando, Florida.
Published in J Investig Med 2001 (March): 49(2); 241A, and also in:
FASEB J, 2001 (March 8): 15 (5, ABSTRACTS PART II): A973.
Attached below are the posters of the above presentation on:
1. Results of screening Sinai donors for iron status.
2. List of blood banks doing free phlebotomies on HH patients acceptable as
donors.
SCREENING
FOR IRON STATUS BY MT SINAI (NYC) BLOOD BANK OF EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEER DONORS SO
REQUESTING, Feb 1- March 15, 2001.