Mean disappearance half-life of transferrin-bound iron (± standard deviation) was significantly shorter in patients with iron deficiency (47 ± 37 min), untreated hereditary anemia (51 ± 23 min) and treated hereditary anemia (65 ± 22 min), than in treated (96 ± 29min) and untreated (108 ± 22 min) hereditary hemochromatosis patients (all p < 0.01). The gene discussed is TF; the disease is hereditary anemia.