Brain structure in healthy adults is related to serum transferrin and the H63D polymorphism in the HFE gene

摘要

This work reveals how iron levels in the body can affect the structure of the living brain. Iron is critical for healthy brainfunction. Iron-deficient children often have cognitive problems, but too much iron can promote brain degeneration in old age. Clearly, iron transport to the brain must be carefully regulated. Here we discovered that levels of the iron transport protein, transferrin, affect the overall structure of the human brain, i.e., its fiber integrity and the volumes of different brain regions. These changes are genetically influenced; we discovered one gene that affects brain integrity and iron availability.