Amelioration of Sardinian beta0 thalassemia by genetic modifiers

Blood. 2009 Oct 29;114(18):3935-7. doi: 10.1182/blood-2009-04-217901. Epub 2009 Aug 20.

Abstract

Sardinian beta-thalassemia patients all are homozygotes for the same null allele in the beta-globin gene, but the clinical manifestations are extremely variable in severity. Previous studies have shown that the coinheritance of alpha-thalassemia or the presence of genetic variants that sustain fetal hemoglobin production has a strong impact on ameliorating the clinical phenotype. Here we evaluate the contribution of variants in the BCL11A, and HBS1L-MYB genes, implicated in the regulation of fetal hemoglobin, and of alpha-thalassemia coinheritance in 50 thalassemia intermedia and 75 thalassemia major patients. We confirm that alpha-thalassemia and allele C of single nucleotide polymorphism rs-11886868 in BCL11A were selectively represented in thalassemia intermedia patients. Moreover, allele G at single nucleotide polymorphism rs9389268 in the HBS1L-MYB locus was significantly more frequent in the thalassemia intermedia patients. This trio of genetic factors can account for 75% of the variation differences in phenotype severity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Alleles*
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics*
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • Female
  • Fetal Hemoglobin / biosynthesis
  • Fetal Hemoglobin / genetics
  • Homozygote*
  • Humans
  • Italy
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics*
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myb / genetics*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myb / metabolism
  • Quantitative Trait Loci / genetics
  • Repressor Proteins
  • alpha-Thalassemia / genetics*
  • alpha-Thalassemia / metabolism
  • beta-Thalassemia / genetics*
  • beta-Thalassemia / metabolism

Substances

  • BCL11A protein, human
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myb
  • Repressor Proteins
  • Fetal Hemoglobin