At this point, to explore whether a different context of iron deficiency could impact hepcidin levels, we additionally compared an external group of non-HIV subjects (N=84), with a diagnosed iron deficiency (Ferropenic, F), showing ferritin levels below 50 ng/mL [F; recently proposed as the optimum threshold for ID diagnose (15, 16)]. This evidence concerns the gene HAMP and nutritional disorder.