Are changes in erythropoiesis in hereditary hemochromatosis mediated by HFE expression in nucleated red cells?
There is evidence that HFE C282Y homozygotes display increased plasma iron turnover and increased erythropoiesis, despite there being no evidence that HFE is expressed in erythroid colonies with a normal HFE genotype. It is likely that HFE mutations do not directly alter erythroid iron handling, but alter the supply of iron to the erythroid tissues.
Our data indicate an important role for c-KIT and SCF in mediating tubular epithelial cell survival via an autocrine pathway.