Hemochromatosis / HFE - ( 2 mutations ) Test

In hemochromatosis, the amount of iron in your body may be too high, even though the level of iron in your blood is normal. Transferrin is a protein that carries iron in the blood. The TS test shows how much iron the transferrin is carrying. This helps your doctor find out how much iron is in your body. Your doctor may test your serum ferritin level if your TS level is high. A serum ferritin level test shows how much iron is stored in your body's organs. A buildup of iron may suggest hemochromatosis. You may have liver function tests to check for damage to your liver. Liver damage may be a sign of hemochromatosis. If you have hemochromatosis, liver function tests may show the severity of the disease.

It is recommended that you should either wear a sleeve-less or a short-sleeved shirt to make it easier for you and the technician who will be drawing the blood. Wearing a shirt with full- sleeves that can easily be rolled-up is also fine. There is no need to disturb your diet routine before an hemochromatosis test. You can eat and drink normally.

Untreated, hereditary hemochromatosis can lead to a number of complications, especially in your joints and in organs where excess iron tends to be stored — your liver, pancreas and heart. Complications can include: Liver problems: e.g. Cirrhosis — permanent scarring of the liver Pancreas problems. Damage to the pancreas can lead to diabetes. Heart problems. Excess iron in your heart affects the heart's ability to circulate enough blood for your body's needs. Reproductive problems. Excess iron can lead to erectile dysfunction (impotence), and loss of sex drive in men and absence of the menstrual cycle in women. Skin color changes. Deposits of iron in skin cells can make your skin appear bronze or gray in color.

A band is wrapped around the arm, 3-4 inches above the collection site (superficial vein that lies within the elbow pit) A 70% alcohol pad is used to clean the skin A needle is then kept in line with and injected into a vein that can be seen from the skin The blood is dragged out from the needle by a nozzle, saved in a vessel and sealed with your name The sample is then taken to a lab for examination