CV# 833L. Herbert V. Letter to the Editor: Correction: Summary for Patients on Genes for Hemochromatosis. Ann Intern Med 2001 (April 17); 134 (8): page 715.
Correction:
Summary for Patients on Genes for Hemochromatosis.
The title of the ìSummary for Patientsî (1) for Beutler and colleaguesí paper (2) should read, ìThe Frequency of Measurable Genes for Hemochromatosis in Patients attending a Health Appraisal Clinic.î About 30% of black persons are heterozygous for hemochromatosis, and about 1% are homozygous (3), but their responsible gene has not yet been isolated (3). According to Table 1 of Beutler and colleaguesí article (2) black participants had genotype C282Y/C282Y, H63D/S65C, or S65C/S65C, (38, 42, and 2 white patients, respectively, had these genotypes); only 1 black participant had genotype C282Y/H63D, and only 2 had genotype H63D/H63D (compared with 150 and 194 white participants, respectively).
The summary is also misleading in its statement (1) that ìno person with two copies of that (C282Y) mutation had serious medical problems.î In their article, Beutler and colleagues state that they excluded Kaiser Health Plan members with two copies of the C282Y mutation who were previously screened and found to have transferrin saturation greater than 50%. We donít know how many of the excluded patients had serious medical problems.
Sincerely,
Victor Herbert, M.D., J.D., M.A.C.P., F.R.S.M (London)
Sinai-New York
University Health System & Bronx Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
References
1. The frequency of genes for hemochromatosis in patients attending a health appraisal clinic. Summary for Patients. Ann Intern Med. 2000; 133: I28.
2. Beutler E, Felitti V, Gelbart T, Ho N. The effect of HFE genotypes on measurements of iron overload in patients attending a health appraisal clinic. Ann Intern Med. 2000; 133:329-337
3.
Herbert V, Shaw S, Jayatilleke E.
Vitamin C-driven free radical generation from iron. J Nutr 1996;126(Suppl
4):1213S-20S.
