Background
           Hemochromatosis is an autosomal recessive genetic disease that results in deregulated iron absorption resulting in iron overload in specific organs such as the liver, heart, pancreas, pituitary, joints and skin. Excess iron deposition is associated with numerous clinical complications including liver disease (cirrhosis, liver cancer), cardiomyopathy, arthritis, and pancreatic disease (diabetes). Hereditary hemochromatosis is one of the most common autosomal recessive disorders in individuals of Caucasian descent, affecting 1 in 300. It has a late onset and can easily be prevented by regular blood donations, which help prevent iron build-up.

A gene, HFE, which causes hereditary hemochromatosis was identified in 1996. Approximately 80% of individuals with hemochromatosis have a mutation of a single nucleotide in codon 282 of the HFE gene. This mutation results in a change from a guanine (G) to an adenine (A), and creates a new restriction site where the Rsa1 enzyme can cut. Thus, RFLP analysis can be used to determine if an individual has the mutation in the HFE gene.

This representation of the normal and mutant copies of the HFE gene shows the size of the DNA fragments following cleavage with Rsa I.

Test Results
           Five individuals requested genetic testing for the HFE gene. The gel below shows the results of this analysis. Can you tell the status of each individual in regards to the HFE gene?