Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0039730 (thalassemia)
 10,305 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Generally, individuals who are heterozygous to haemoglobin S (Hb AS) are asymptomatic and do not present any haematological or clinical manifestations. However, other associated genetic abnormalities may influence the presentation in Hb AS cases. This study was conducted on twenty children heterozygous for HB S who presented clinical manifestations similar to those of sickle cell anaemia. All these children had anaemia associated with several red cell morphological abnormalities. The white blood cell counts were elevated in all patients and differential count studies showed a substantial increase in lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear leucocytes in the majority of the cases. Forty-five per cent of the patients had associated alpha-thalassaemia, 60 per cent had beta-thalassaemia, 30 per cent had G-6-PD deficiency and 10 per cent had partial glutathione reductase deficiency. Pyruvate kinase activity was normal in all cases. Riboflavin deficiency was encountered in 30 per cent of the patients and iron deficiency in 15 per cent of these Hb S heterozygotes. The major clinical findings were splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, and vaso-occlusive crisis. The majority of the patients had received blood transfusions. The hand and foot syndrome was identified in three (15 per cent) of the patients. The haematological and clinical findings in these twenty Hb S heterozygotes are presented in this paper and the possible causes for these abnormalities are discussed.
 ...
PMID:Case studies on haemoglobin S heterozygotes with severe clinical manifestations. 228 93

It was demonstrated in heterozygous alpha 1- and beta-thalassaemia, that the slow rate of red-cell metabolism of vitamin B6, previously shown to be inherited, is regulated by the FMN-dependent pyridoxine (pyridoxamine) phosphate oxidase, as in control subjects. In this study, 60% of the patients with thalassaemia had a low B6 oxidase activity. An inverse correlation with the stimulation of the FAD-dependent glutathione reductase activity by FAD confirmed that red-cell riboflavin status was responsible. The inherited nature and lack of signs of nutritional riboflavin deficiency led to the conclusion that this was the result of a slow rate of red-cell metabolism of riboflavin. Stimulation of glutathione reductase activity by FAD correlated inversely with its basic activity in thalassaemia and control subjects. There was a high incidence of a low activity of this enzyme per red cell in patients with thalassaemia. The possibility that a low activity of glutathione reductase and a slow metabolism of B6 and riboflavin in the red-cell might play a part in the degree of severity of the thalassaemic disease is discussed.
 ...
PMID:Low red cell activity of pyridoxine (pyridoxamine) phosphate oxidase and glutathione reductase associated with thalassaemia. 733 97