title: Hereditary spherocytosis.
abstract: Hereditary spherocytosis is a common hemolytic disorder characterized by a defect or deficiency in one or more of the proteins composing red blood cell membrane. As a result, red blood cells have an abnormal shape, higher metabolic requirements, and are prematurely trapped and destroyed in the spleen. Hereditary spherocytosis, including the very mild or subclinical forms, is the most common cause of non-immune hemolytic anemia among people of Northern European ancestry, with a prevalence of approximately 1 in 2000. However very mild forms of the disease may be much more common. Hereditary spherocytosis is inherited in a dominant fashion in 75% of cases, whereas the remaining are truly recessive cases and de novo mutations. This review reports current concepts on red cell membrane structure and it will attempt to clarify molecular defects leading to spherocyte and their consequences.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biochimica e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli Federico II, CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Via Comunale Margherita 482, 80145 Naples, Italy. iolascon@ceinge.unina.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iolascon
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Avvisati
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Piscopo
mesh_terms: D000743:Anemia, Hemolytic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D001457:Anion Exchange Protein 1, Erythrocyte / Q000235:genetics; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004907:Erythrocyte Deformability / Q000235:genetics; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005799:Genes, Dominant; D005808:Genes, Recessive; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D013103:Spherocytosis, Hereditary / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D001457:Anion Exchange Protein 1, Erythrocyte; D008565:Membrane Proteins