Hereditary Hemochromatosis

Five out of a thousand people have an increased risk of developing hereditary hemochromatosis (HH).

The disease concerns a disruption in iron absorption due to genetic changes, and too much iron is absorbed from food. Since humans do not have an active excretion mechanism for iron, excess iron is stored in organs such as the liver, heart and pancreas. This leads to impairment in the affected organs and severe organ damage results. To prevent this, early diagnosis of hereditary hemochromatosis is of crucial importance.
To diagnose or rule out hereditary hemochromatosis, persons with abnormal serum iron markers and unexplained liver or heart disease, for example, should undergo genetic testing. If the disease is present, the goal of treatment is to remove the excess iron from the body. One simple therapeutic measure involves regular bloodletting.

In 1996 the HFE gene that is closely associated with HH was discovered.  Various mutations in this gene can lead to iron overload.  The most frequent is the C282Y mutation; more than 80% of all HH patients are homozygous for C282Y. In addition, an increased risk of disease can be demonstrated with the appearance of the compound heterozygote C282Y/H63D.

Products for Your Diagnostics of Hereditary Hemochromatosis
Our test systems for the diagnostics of hereditary hemochromatosis detect genetic risk factors - fast and reliable.

It is your choice: two different technologies provide your individual result.
The test system GenoType HH is based on the reliable DNA•STRIP technology – The test systems FluoroType^® HH C282Y and FluoroType^® HH H63D rely on the innovative FluoroType^® technology.

Detailed information about the individual test systems can be found here:

To the products

FluoroType^® HH C282Y

FluoroType^® HH H63D

GenoType HH