Molecular analysis of beta-thalassemia in South Vietnam.
The high prevalence of beta-thalassemia in Southeast Asia is a major public health problem. Development of genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis programs is a priority. To provide the groundwork for such programs in South Vietnam, we determined the spectrum of beta-thalassemia mutations in 35 severely affected patients and their relatives. We identified six different beta-thalassemia alleles (five beta(0) and one beta(+) mutations), in addition to the common mutation at codon 26 (GAG --> AAG) responsible for Hb E. These data provide insights into the distribution of beta-thalassemia alleles in the Vietnamese population.
Le
T H
TH
Department of Human Genetics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, and Pediatric Hospital No. 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Pissard
S
S
Pham
H V
HV
Lacombe
C
C
Truong
D H
DH
Goossens
M
M
Truong
D K
DK
D000483:Alleles; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005192:Family Health; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*