Q and A: about health and research

Professor Martin Grobusch stands as one of the leading figures in modern tropical and infectious disease medicine, a field he has shaped through relentless engagement across continents. While many in academia focus on one lab, one disease, or one nation, Grobusch's work has defied boundaries, both geographic and disciplinary. His research reflects a career committed to the medical complexities of the Global South, spanning diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, viral hemorrhagic fevers, and the vaccine needs of immunocompromised individuals. By shuttling between locations like South Africa, Sierra Leone, Gabon, and Ecuador—and holding a base in Amsterdam—Grobusch exemplifies what it means to be peripatetic in pursuit of public health solutions. HIV and Tuberculosis in the Era of South African "Polycrisis" Grobusch’s involvement in infectious disease research intersects powerfully with some of the most complex health and political crises of the 21st century. One particular...

Hemochromatosis is a hereditary metabolic disorder characterized by excessive absorption of dietary iron, including iron from water and food sources. Over time, the body stores more iron than it needs, and because it has no effective natural method of excreting the excess, iron accumulates in various organs. This can lead to progressive damage, particularly in the liver, heart, pancreas, joints, and endocrine glands. The primary form of hemochromatosis is genetic, most commonly associated with mutations in the HFE gene, particularly the C282Y and H63D variants. These mutations impair the regulation of iron absorption in the intestines, resulting in chronic iron overload, even when dietary intake is normal. Iron is stored in the body primarily in the form of ferritin, a protein that safely contains iron within cells and releases it as needed. Under normal conditions, ferritin levels reflect the body's iron stores. However, in hemochromatosis, ferritin levels become abnormally hi...

When a patient presents with critically low oxygen saturation (SpO₂), fainting episodes, and an abnormally high number of red blood cells (erythrocytosis), physicians face a challenging diagnostic puzzle. In such cases, symptoms may not align with typical respiratory pathologies, and initial assumptions about lung dysfunction may be misleading. Instead, the root cause may lie within the blood itself or in deeper systemic conditions, including metabolic or genetic disorders such as acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) or iron storage diseases like hemochromatosis . This article explores the possible underlying causes, implications, and treatment strategies associated with these intertwined medical findings. Part I: The Immediate Clinical Picture Symptoms and Concerns Critically low oxygen saturation despite normal lung function Elevated red blood cell count (polycythemia or erythrocytosis) Episodes of fainting (syncope) Aggressiveness, irritability Liver and kidney dysf...