Hematological Phenotype of the Double Heterozygous State for Alpha and Beta Thalassemia

Abstract

In this study, we have correlated the hematological phenotype of 56 Sardinian beta o-thalassemia heterozygotes with their alpha-globin genotype as defined by restriction endonuclease mapping. We found that the coinheritance of the deletion of one alpha-globin and, more obviously, two alpha-globin genes tend to normalize the thalassemia-like hematological phenotype commonly associated with the beta o-thalassemia carrier state. On the other hand, the association of the deletion of three alpha-globin genes caused a more severe phenotype. By globin chain synthesis analysis, those beta o-thalassemia heterozygotes with the (-alpha/alpha alpha) alpha-globin genotype had less deficiency of beta-chain synthesis than did those with the normal alpha-globin genotype (alpha alpha/alpha alpha). In heterozygotes with the (-alpha/-alpha) and in those with the (--/-alpha) alpha-globin genotype the imbalance was actually reversed with a mild or marked alpha-chain synthesis excess respectively.