Original scientific paper
Frequency of HFE Gene Mutations C282Y and H63D in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Rifet Terzić
Amela Šehić
Nataša Teran
Ibrahim Terzić
Borut Peterlin
Abstract
Genetic epidemiology studies of hereditary hemochromatosis (HHC) have shown a high prevalence of the C282Y mutation
in individuals of the North Western European origin, whereas lower prevalence of HFE gene mutations was detected
in the populations from southern European countries. However, no HFE mutation prevalence data have been provided
for the population of Bosnia-Herzegovina so far. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the frequency of
the C282Y and H63D HFE gene mutations in the population of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Among 200 analysed subjects 8
(4%) were C282Y heterozygotes; no C282Y homozygotes were found. The frequency of the H63D allele was 11.5%. There
were 33 (16.5%) heterozygotes and 6 (3%) homozygotes for the H63D mutation. One (0.5%) compound heterozygote
C282Y/H63D was identified. The observed C282Y and H63D allele frequency was 2.25% (95% confidence interval:
1.2–4.2) and 11.5% (95% confidence interval: 8.7–14.9), respectively. The prevalence of the C282Y and H63D mutations
was estimated in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which fit well in the European northwest-to-southeast gradient of the C282Y mutation
distribution. In addition, these results have an important implication for clinical evaluation of HHC in Bosnia-
Herzegovina.
Keywords
hereditary hemochromatosis; HFE gene; C282Y and H63D mutation; allele frequency
Hrčak ID:
27600
URI
Publication date:
12.5.2006.
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