Screening for co-existence of α-thalassemia in β-thalassemia and in HbE heterozygotes via an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for Hb Bart's and embryonic ζ-globin chain

• Main Authors: Tatu T., Khuntarak S., Suwannasin S., Kiewkarnkha T., Khamrin S., Kasinrerk W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3502482; http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84862899879&partnerID=40&md5=8ec18f084f3d049aee2c6d024c8c9e79; http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/handle/6653943832/798
• Institution: Chiang Mai University

We sought to demonstrate the ability of levels of Hb Bart's and ζ-globin chain quantified by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in detecting α-thalassemia in β-thalassemia and HbE heterozygotes. We developed an in-house sandwich ELISA method using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to Hb Bart's and ζ-globin chain, and quantified levels of Hb Bart's and ζ-globin chain in 172 and 223 anonymous blood samples of β-thalassemia and HbE heterozygotes, respectively. Genotypes of athalassemia 1, β-thalassemia were identified, and HbE allele was confirmed using a newly developed multiplex allele-specific PCR. The in-house sandwich ELISA method detected Hb Bart's in 6.4% of β-thalassemia heterozygotes, of which 5.2% showed detectable amounts of the ζ-globin chain. 15.2% of individuals heterozygous for HbE showed a detectable amount of Hb Bart's, and the ζ-globin chain was detected in 11.2% of this cohort. All samples having detectable amounts of Hb Bart's and the ζ-globin chain were verified to be SEA-type α-thalassemia 1. ELISAquantified Hb Bart's and ζ-globin chain levels can be used to detect double heterozygosity of α- and β-thalassemia and of α-thalassemia and HbE. This strategy may be useful in screening for co-existence of α-thalassemia in β-thalassemia and in HbE heterozygotes, particularly in countries where a-, β-thalassemia and HbE are endemic. © 2012 The Japanese Society of Hematology.