The gamma chain heterogeneity of fetal hemoglobin in black beta-thalassemia and HPFH heterozygotes.

High pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) was applied to the HbF isolated from blood of numerous black patients with beta-thalassemia trait or homozygosity, G gamma-delta beta-thalassemia trait, G gamma A-gamma HPFH heterozygosity, or the G gamma-[delta+ beta+]-HPFH condition. The method allowed an accurate evaluation of the relative quantities of three types of gamma-chain (G gamma, A gamma I, A gamma T) in the fetal hemoglobins. The results have shown the following. (A) The incidence of the A gamma T-chain in beta-thal heterozygotes and G gamma A gamma-HPFH heterozygotes is about the same as has been observed in black newborn; about one of five blacks are heterozygous for this A gamma-chain variant. The A gamma T-chain was not detected in the nine G gamma-delta beta-thal heterozygotes nor in the eight G gamma-[delta+ beta+]-HPFH heterozygotes. (B) In most cases, the A gamma T-chain was produced by the A gamma gene in trans to the beta-thal or HPFH determinant. The contribution by the gamma-chain genes in trans to the beta-thal or HPFH determinant is about 15% of the total gamma-chain production in both conditions. (C) Three black beta-thal heterozygotes (and five additional relatives) had the A gamma T gene in cis to the beta-thal determinant. Four of these patients had a low levels of G gamma-chain (the "adult" level), and the contribution by the A gamma gene in cis to the beta-thal determinant was about three times that of the A gamma gene in trans. The four additional patients, all members of one family, had a high level of G gamma-chain (the "newborn" level), and the contribution of the A gamma gene in cis was half of that seen in the previously mentioned four patients while that of the A gamma gene in trans was essentially the same. These limited data suggest that the genetic anomaly causing high high G gamma levels in adult beta-thal heterozygotes is linked to the beta-thal determinant and that one of its primary effects is a decreased synthetic expression of the A gamma gene in cis to the beta-thal determinant.