66 - Haemoglobinopathies Flashcards
Inheritance pattern of most haemoglobin disorders
Autosomal recessive
Proportion of world-s population that are carriers of haemoglobinopathies
4.5%
Where are alpha globin genes clustered?
Chromosome 16
Where are beta globin genes clustered?
Chromosome 11
Alpha globin gene cluster architecture
5’->3’ LCR, zeta, 2xphi (pseudogenes), alpha2, alpha1 (these are identical)
Beta globin gene cluster architecture
5’->3’ LCR, epsilon, Ggamma, A gamma, phiB, delta, beta
LCR
Locus control region. Essential for regulation of beta-like globin genes
*Regulation of globin-like genes over lifespan
Proportion of HbF in an adult
0.5%
Types of haemoglobinopathies 1) 2) 3)
1) Alpha and beta thalassaemias 2) Structural variants 3) Hereditary persistence of foetal haemoglobin
Definition of thalassaemias
Decreased synthesis of one or more globin chains
Definition of structural variants (haemoglobinopathies)
Altered globin polypeptide sequence, without altering rate of synthesis. Over 500 variants (EG: sickle cell anaemia)
Alpha thalassaemia distribution
South-East Asia
Beta-thalassaemia distribution
Global distribution. Increased freq in Southern European, Middle Eastern, North African, SE Asian, Indian Subcontinental populations
Sickle cell disease distribution
Malaria zones. West, Central Africa, Middle East, Indian Subcontinent
Basis for pathology of thalassaemias
Imbalance in relative numbers of alpha and beta chains leads to formation of homotetramers instead of heterotetramers. These aggregate within RBCs and damage them. Severity relates to degree of imbalance.
Mutations leading to alpha thalassaemias
Large deletions
Mutations leading to beta-thalassaemias
Majority caused by point mutations
Different types of beta thalassaemias
B+ (beta-globin produced at reduced rate), B- (no beta-globin produced)
Another name for a homozygous thalassaemia
Thalassaemia major