Affiliations 

  • 1 Institute for Medical Research, University of California International Center for Medical Research and Training, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Acta Haematol., 1973;49(1):25-35.
PMID: 4632449 DOI: 10.1159/000208382

Abstract

Newborns were examined for the presence of slow-moving haemoglobin components, tentatively designated X components and previously found in a group of Hb H disease in which invariably one of the parents of each patient had the same slow-moving Hb X components also. Structural studies showed that the abnormal haemoglobin in Chinese was identical with Hb Constant Spring, an c-chain variant. Newborns with Hb Bart’s and slow-moving X components invariably had one parent with the X components also. When the child grew older Hb Bart’s disappeared while the Hb X components remained in the blood. The homozygous state for the X components was found in a Malay boy through his newborn brother who had the X components in addition to Hb Bart’s and had both parents with the X components. One other Malay baby had the X components and Hb A2 Indonesia inherited from the parents. The present study of newborns also showed that Hb Bart’s can accompany different abnormalities of haemoglobin production, involving alpha-chains, beta-chains as well as gamm-chains. Its presence in cord blood is, therefore, not specific for alpha-thalassaemia
Key Words: Haemoglobinopathies; Hb Bart’s; Slow-moving Hb X; Thalassaemia

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.