Summary
Globin chain synthesis was studied in 13 iron-deficient patients. The mean whole-cell globin α/β ratio in the peripheral blood of 11 patients was 1.05±0.06 which is similar to the value 0.99±0.08 obtained for 10 controls. The ratios odtained for stroma-free globin were not significantly different from those of whole cell preparations. In contrast, the α/β ratio of bone marrow was 0.73±0.14 in 10 iron deficient patients, which is significantly lower than that of controls. Two other patients had decreased α/β ratios in the peripheral blood, probably because of the presence of an α-thalassemia gene. These results demonstrate a reduced rate of synthesis of α chains relative to that of β chains in the bone marrow of iron-deficient patients that is not demonstrable in the peripheral blood.
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This work was partly supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, Brazil
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Zago, M.A., Bottura, C. Bone marrow and peripheral blood globin chain biosynthesis in iron deficiency. Blut 44, 159–164 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00320762
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00320762