title: Alpha-thalassemia in northern Thailand. Frequency of deletional types characterized at the DNA level.
abstract: The frequency of alpha-thalassemias in northern Thailand was estimated using DNA techniques. Among 106 healthy adult Thais from the Chiangmai area, 28 were shown to carry alpha-globin gene anomalies. There were 19 heterozygotes and 1 homozygote for alpha-thalassemia-2. One of the alpha-thalassemia-2 deletions was of the -alpha 4.2 type and the remaining 20 of the -alpha 3.7 type (subtype I). Deletions of both alpha-globin genes on one chromosome (alpha-thalassemia-1) of the Southeast Asian type were observed in 5 cases, and 3 alpha-globin gene triplications were identified. Compared with a previous report on alpha-thalassemia in northern Thailand which was based on the determination of hemoglobin Bart's in cord blood, the present DNA study reveals a similar frequency of alpha-thalassemia-2 but a considerably lower frequency of alpha-thalassemia-1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, FRG.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hundrieser
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sanguansermsri
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Papp
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Flatz
mesh_terms: D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D006580:Genetic Carrier Screening; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D013785:Thailand; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004247:DNA