Amyloidosis occurs when abnormal proteins called amyloids build up and form deposits. The deposits can collect in organs such as the kidney and heart. This can cause the organs to become stiff and unable to work the way they should.

There are three main types of amyloidosis:

• Primary - with no known cause
• Secondary - caused by another disease, including some types of cancer
• Familial - passed down through genes

Symptoms can vary, depending upon which organs are affected. Treatment depends on the type of amyloidosis you have. The goal is to help with symptoms and limit the production of proteins. If another disease is the cause, it needs to be treated.

Metabolism is the process your body uses to get or make energy from the food you eat. Food is made up of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Chemicals in your digestive system break the food parts down into sugars and acids, your body's fuel. Your body can use this fuel right away, or it can store the energy in your body tissues, such as your liver, muscles, and body fat.

A metabolic disorder occurs when abnormal chemical reactions in your body disrupt this process. When this happens, you might have too much of some substances or too little of other ones that you need to stay healthy. There are different groups of disorders. Some affect the breakdown of amino acids, carbohydrates, or lipids. Another group, mitochondrial diseases, affects the parts of the cells that produce the energy.

You can develop a metabolic disorder when some organs, such as your liver or pancreas, become diseased or do not function normally. Diabetes is an example.

Hereditary amyloidosis refers to a group of inherited conditions that make up one of the subtypes of amyloidosis. Hereditary amyloidosis is characterized by the deposit of an abnormal protein called amyloid in multiple organs of the body where it should not be, which causes disruption of organ tissue structure and function. In hereditary amyloidosis, amyloid deposits most often occur in tissues of the heart, kidneys, and nervous system. While symptoms of hereditary amyloidosis may appear in childhood, most individuals do not experience symptoms until adulthood.

There are many types of hereditary amyloidosis associated with different genemutations and abnormal proteins. The most common type of hereditary amyloidosis is transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR), a condition in which the amyloid deposits are most often made up of the transthyretin protein which is made in the liver. Other examples of hereditary amyloidosis include, but are not limited to, apolipoprotein AI amyloidosis (A ApoAI), gelsolin amyloidosis (A Gel), lysozyme amyloidosis (A Lys), cystatin C amyloidosis (A Cys), fibrinogen Aα-chain amyloidosis (A Fib), and apolipoprotein AII amyloidosis (A ApoAII). Most types of hereditary amyloidosis are inherited in an autosomal dominant manner.

Treatment is focused on addressing symptoms of organ damage and slowing down the production of amyloid when possible through methods such as liver transplants.