Height of non-Hispanic white adults with homeostatic iron regulator HFE genotypes p.C282Y/p.C282Y and wt/wt

Background: We sought to evaluate height in white adults with hemochromatosis.

Methods: We analyzed the height of (1) post-screening examination participants with HFE p.C282Y/p.C282Y (rs1800562) and wt/wt (absence of p.C282Y and p.H63D (rs1799945)) and (2) referred hemochromatosis probands with p.C282Y/p.C282Y.

Results: There were 762 participants (270 p.C282Y/p.C282Y, 492 wt/wt; 343 men, 419 women) and 180 probands (104 men, 76 women). Median height of male participants with p.C282Y/p.C282Y or wt/wt was 177.8 cm. Median height of female participants was greater in those with p.C282Y/p.C282Y than wt/wt (165.1 cm vs 162.6 cm, respectively; p = 0.0298). Median height of p.C282Y/p.C282Y participants and probands was the same (men 177.8 cm; women 165.1 cm). Regressions on height of male and female participants revealed no associations with HFE genotype and inverse and positive associations with age and weight, respectively. Height of female participants was positively and inversely associated with transferrin saturation and serum ferritin, respectively. Regressions on height of male and female probands revealed positive associations with weight.

Conclusions: The height of men with HFE p.C282Y/p.C282Y and wt/wt does not differ significantly. The height of female participants was greater in those with p.C282Y/p.C282Y than wt/wt. We found no independent association of HFE genotype with the height of men or women.