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. 1975 Jun;12(2):165–173. doi: 10.1136/jmg.12.2.165

Homozygous beta thalassaemia in Liberia.

M C Willcox, D J Weatherall, J B Clegg
PMCID: PMC1013261  PMID: 1142380

Abstract

The clinical and haematological findings in 19 Liberians probably homozygous for beta thalassaemia are described. The haemoglobin patterns were similar with Hb F levels in the 30-50% range and a raised level of Hb A2 and, although the clinical severity varied widely, over half the cases were symptomless and even the more severely affected ones showed a milder picture than that found in Mediterranean races. Haemoglobin-synthesis studies carried out on three homozygotes and two heterozygotes indicated a variable degree of globin-chain imbalance. The reasons for the mild course of the disease in Liberians and other African races are discussed; it is likely that the beta-thalassaemia genes in these populations are different from those in other racial groups. It is noted that all persons in this study belong to tribes which have a low incidence of the sickle-cell gene.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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