𝔖 Bobbio Scriptorium
✦   LIBER   ✦

Hb Iraq-Halabja ?10 (A7) Ala?Val (GCC?GTC): A new ?-chain silent variant in a family with multiple Hb disorders

✍ Scribed by Deutsch, S.; Darbellay, R.; Offord, R.; Frutiger, A.; Kister, J.; Wajcman, H.; Beris, Ph.


Publisher
John Wiley and Sons
Year
1999
Tongue
English
Weight
356 KB
Volume
61
Category
Article
ISSN
0361-8609

No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.

✦ Synopsis


A patient originating from Iraq was referred to our laboratory upon suspicion of a hemoglobinopathy. Routine hematological tests revealed a microcytic and slightly anemic phenotype with an elevated HbA 2 suggestive of ␤-thalassemia. Samples were obtained for several members of the family which upon examination revealed highly heterogeneous phenotypes that prompted us to investigate the case further. Sequencing of the ␤-globin gene and ␣ cluster mapping in the propositus and his brother showed a previously undescribed ␤-globin variant:Hb Iraq-Halabja, ␤10(A7) Ala→Val (GCC→GTC), associated with ␤ 0 -thalassemia IVS-2 nt1 G→A and either ␣-thal-2-3.7 kb deletion (brother), or ␣-globin gene triplication anti-3.7 kb type (propositus). Detailed functional studies of the variant gave a normal oxygenation curve, a normal heterotopic action of 2,3 DPG, and normal heat stability and isopropanol precipitation tests. The variant shows a clear difference in migration properties compared to normal ␤-chain only when run on PAGE urea Triton. As expected, ␣/␤-globin mRNA ratios were influenced by the concomitant presence of an ␣-globin gene pathology and the ␤ 0 thalassemia and not by the presence of the ␤-globin variant which apparently is clinically silent. Am.