Abstract
Extract: The fetal hemoglobin (Hb-F) of blood samples from 11 newborn babies (two normal infants, two sickle cell trait carriers, two Hb-C heterozygotes, two infants with Hb-SG disease, one infant with Hb-Richmond heterozygosity, one β-thalassemia heterozy-gote, and one infant with a heterozygosity for the hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin) and from 16 adults (eight normals, two Hb-S heterozygotes, one Hb-C heterozygote, and five SC patients) has been examined to determine the ratio of the two structurally different γ chains, namely the Gγ and Aγ chains. This ratio is about 2:3 in the Hb-F of the adults and, therefore, significantly different from the 3:1 ratio in the Hb-F of the newborn. This newborn ratio undergoes a considerable change between the 3rd and 4th months of life, at which time it approaches that of the Hb-F of adults.
Speculation: The mechanism by which the gradual change from γ chain synthesis to β and δ chain synthesis is controlled remains unclear. However, the change in the ratio of production of structurally different γ chains as a function of postnatal age indicates a rather complex mechanism which probably involves an unequal repression of the γ chain structural genes. Any explanation of the mechanism must take into account the fact that the production of two genes, the Gγ and Aγ, is greatly decreased, whereas that of two other genes, the β and δ, is started. Perhaps a closely related or even identical mechanism controls not only the ratio of production of the Gγ and Aγ genes but also that of the β and δ genes.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Dr. Romeo Uy, This paper is in memory of our dedicated co-worker and friend, Dr. Romeo Uy, who was murdered on March 9, 1970.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schroeder, W., Huisman, T., Brown, A. et al. Postnatal Changes in the Chemical Heterogeneity of Human Fetal Hemoglobin. Pediatr Res 5, 493 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197109000-00008
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197109000-00008
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
Hb F in sickle cell anemia
Experientia (1993)
-
Anomaly in the γ chain heterogeneity of the newborn
Nature (1977)
-
The chemical heterogeneity of the fetal hemoglobin in normal newborn infants and in adults
Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry (1977)
-
Detection and quantitation of the fetal hemoglobin variant Hb F-Malta-I in adults
Biochemical Genetics (1977)
-
Non-synchronized Suppression of Postnatal Activity in Non-allelic Genes which Synthesize the Gγ Chain in Human Foetal Haemoglobin
Nature New Biology (1973)