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Globin Chain Biosynthesis in Iron Deficiency
Author(s) -
Walford Diana M.,
Deacon Rosemary
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1980.tb01202.x
Subject(s) - biosynthesis , globin , biochemistry , chemistry , biology , hemoglobin , gene
S ummary . Globin chain synthesis was studied in seven severely iron‐deficient patients before and after treatment with iron. There was no appreciable difference between the individual pre‐ and post‐treatment α/β specific activity ratios and the mean α/β ratio for each group was 1·00±SD 0·04. In a further six untreated iron‐deficient patients the mean α/β ratio was 1·00±SD 0·04. There was therefore no evidence that iron deficiency caused a reduction in α/β ratio. Three patients with β thalassaemia trait and coexistent iron deficiency had lower α/β ratios before treatment than after treatment with iron. It appeared that iron deficiency had caused reduced α chain synthesis in this group. Preliminary experiments have shown that the α/β specific activity ratio of purified haemoglobin A is decreased in iron deficiency, indicating an increase in the size of the free α chain pool. It is suggested that iron deficiency may interfere with the proteolytic mechanism normally responsible for the destruction of excess α chains. In combined iron deficiency and β thalassaemia trait, the resulting increase in free α chains might act by negative feedback to inhibit further α chain synthesis (Blum et al , 1970) thereby reducing the pre‐treatment α/β ratio.