Study to Identify a Genetic Defect in Subjects With Hyperferritinemia.

Status: Recruiting
Location: See location...
Intervention Type: Genetic
Study Type: Observational
SUMMARY

Ferritin is a ubiquitous protein capable of storing iron in the cell cytosol. Stored iron is released and made available for cellular needs by the degradation of ferritin itself. Small amounts of ferritin are present in the blood and consist of ferritin L, a glycosylated form of L called ferritin G, and trace amounts of ferritin H. It is secreted mainly by macrophages, hepatocytes, and lymphoid cells, but most aspects of its secretion remain not fully elucidated. Serum ferritin has broad clinical utility primarily as an indicator of iron stores, so low values of serum ferritin are indicative of a deficient state and high values of iron overload. However, the causes of increased serum ferritin are numerous, in many cases serum ferritin is increased disproportionately to iron stores such as in acute and chronic liver disease, infectious and inflammatory states, metabolic disorders, and high alcohol intake that are frequently observed in the clinical setting. Therefore, the diagnosis of hyperferritinemia requires a careful strategy including personal and family history, biochemical, instrumental, and targeted genetic testing. In fact, there are rare forms of genetically determined hyperferritinemia not associated with iron overload, such as hereditary cataract hyperferritinemia syndrome (HHCS) due to mutations in the Iron responsive Element (IRE) located in the 5' untranslated region of the FTL gene. More recently, a second dominant form of genetic hyperferritinemia without iron overload or cataract (benign hyperferritinemia) has been identified. Preliminary results obtained so far have made it possible, through WES analysis, to identify the involvement of the STAB1 gene, which was found to be mutated in the studied subjects in whom reduced serum ferritin glycosylation and reduced plasma concentration of the protein itself were observed. It is therefore deemed necessary to proceed with the assay of glycosylated ferritin and the protein encoded by the gene to assess its sensitivity and specificity as a predictive test before performing the genetic analysis of STAB1. To achieve this goal, patients with undefined hyperferritinemia afferent to the SSD Rare Diseases of the IRCCS San Gerardo Foundation in whom to perform glycosylated ferritin and STAB1 protein assay in parallel with STAB1 sequencing will be evaluated. Similar investigations will be performed in a control group consisting of cases of hyperferritinemia due to genetically determined iron overload.

Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: All
Minimum Age: 18
Maximum Age: 80
Healthy Volunteers: f
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⁃ Among patients referred to the Center for Rare Diseases of Monza will be enrolled only subjects with:

• ferritin \> 1000 g / L in men and \> 500 g / L,

• transferrin saturation \<45%

• absence of hepatic iron overload, evaluated by liver biopsy or MRI, as indicated in the attached flow chart.

Locations
Other Locations
Italy
Centre for Rare Disease - Disorders of Iron Metabolism, ASST-Monza, San Gerardo Hospital, European Reference Network - EuroBloodNet
RECRUITING
Monza
Contact Information
Primary
Raffaella Mariani, Dr.ssa
r.mariani@asst-monza.it
+390392339555
Time Frame
Start Date: 2022-06-06
Estimated Completion Date: 2024-09-30
Participants
Target number of participants: 100
Related Therapeutic Areas
Sponsors
Leads: University of Milano Bicocca

This content was sourced from clinicaltrials.gov