The pathogenetic role of TFR2 in hemochromatosis has been recently further demonstrated through the targeted expression of the Y250X human mutation in mice, which develop sings of iron overload identical to the human disease.
We conclude that Y250X is uncommon in Caucasians with hemochromatosis associated with atypical HFE genotypes, in African Americans with primary iron overload, and in the general Caucasian and African American population subgroups in central Alabama.
Recently, a mutation in the gene encoding transferrin receptor-2 (exon 6, nucleotide 750 C --> G; Y250X) was detected by a PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method in Sicilians with hemochromatosis.