Defect of Ferritin Secretion in HLA-A3 Subjects and in Idiopathic Hemochromatosis

We previously described an impairment of ferritin secretion in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from normal HLA-A3 subjects following stimulation in vitro with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin A (Con A) with or without addition of ferric citrate [1–3]. We now re-examine the association of ferritin secretion with HLA-A phenotype in a population of controls and idiopathic hemochromatosis (IH) patients in Brittany, the region where family studies first documented a linkage disequilibrium of the HLA-A3 antigen in IH [4].