Prevalence and clinical phenotype of the triplicated α-globin genes and its ethnic and geographical distribution in Guizhou of China

BMC Medical Genomics

Jindong Chen¹  Yan Chen²  Liu-song Wu²  Xiang-mei Zhang²  Xi Luo² 

[1] Department of Medical Genetics, Zunyi Medical University, 563000, Zunyi, Guizhou, China;Exploring Health LLC, 510663, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China;Department of Urology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 14642, Rochester, NY, USA;Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, 563000, Zunyi, Guizhou, China;

关键词: Population genetics;    Epidemiology;    Prevalence;    Triplicated α-globin genes;    α-globin triplication;    β-thalassemia;    Anemia;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12920-021-00944-9

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

Backgroundα-thalassemia is relatively endemic in Guizhou province of southwestern China. To predict the clinical manifestations of α-globin gene aberration for genetic counseling, we examined the prevalence of the α-globin triplication and the genotype–phenotype correlation in this subpopulationMethodsA cohort of 7644 subjects was selected from nine ethnicities covering four regions in Guizhou province of China. Peripheral blood was collected from each participant for routine blood testing and hemoglobin electrophoresis. PCR-DNA sequencing and Gap-PCR were used to identify the thalassemia gene mutations. Chi-square tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to statistically analyze the data.ResultsWe found that the frequency of α-globin triplication in Guizhou province was 0.772% (59/7644). Genotypically, the αααanti4.2/αα accounted for 0.523% (40/7644), the αααanti3.7/αα for 0.235% (18/7644), and the αααanti3.7/–SEA for 0.013% (1/7644). The αααanti4.2/αα is more prevalent than the αααanti3.7/αα in Guizhou. In addition, the frequency of the HKαα/αα (that by GAP-PCR is like αααanti4.2/-α3.7) was 0.235% (18/7644). Ethnically, the Tujia group presented the highest prevalence (2.47%) of α-globin triplication. Geographically, the highest frequency of the α-globin triplication was identified in Qiannan region (2.23%). Of the triplicated α-globin cases, 5 coinherited with heterozygote β-thalassemia and presented various clinical manifestations of anemia.ConclusionsThese data will be used to update the Chinese triplicated α-globin thalassemia database and provide insights into the pathogenesis of thalassemia. These findings will be helpful for the diagnosis of thalassemia and future genetic counseling in those regions.

【 授权许可】

CC BY