CD4 and autoimmune disease: Patients with HH due to homozygosity for C282Y variant are also affected by several immune defects like low number of CD8+ T-lymphocytes affecting CD4+/CD8+ ratios, lower levels of MHC-I expression in PBMCs due to an increased rate of MHC-I endocytosis and increased occurrence of autoimmune diseases.[9] Nonetheless, HFE C282Y mutation may offer an advantage to asymptomatic patients, interfering with the inflammatory response of macrophages.