A novel frameshift mutation causing beta-thalassemia in a Sikh.

During our survey of beta-thalassemia mutations among residents of the United Arab Emirates, we came across a Sikh family who had two new beta-thalassemia mutations. The father had a frameshift mutation at codons 47/48 (+ATCT), and the mother another frameshift mutation at codons 57/58 (+C). The offspring of this family were two daughters with beta-thalassemia trait and a boy with a compound heterozygosity. The boy, who was transfusion-dependent from the age of 7 months, had a successful bone marrow transplant from his eldest sister at the age of 13 months.