Iron uptake and ferritin synthesis by peripheral blood leucocytes in patients with primary idiopathic haemochromatosis.

Iron uptake and storage in peripheral blood leucocytes has been studies to test the hypothesis that the basic lesion in idiopathic haemochromatosis resides in a failure of mononuclear phagocytic cells to store iron. In seven fully treated cases of this disease there was no evidence of any abnormality in iron uptake, synthesis of the storage protein ferritin or its ability to incorporate iron. The ferritin content of leucocytes was found to be increased.