Estudio hematológico, bioquímico y clínico de pacientes y familiares con esferocitosis hereditaria / Hematologic, biochemical and clinical study of patients and relatives presenting with inheritable spherocytosis

Se realizó un estudio hematológico, bioquímico y clínico a 6 pacientes diagnosticados con esferocitosis hereditaria (HS) y a sus familiares (40). Se encontraron 13 familiares portadores de la enfermedad. En 4 familias, el patrón de herencia fue autosómico dominante y en 2 de ellas no se pudo precisar. Los 19 casos se clasificaron en: 6 (31,6 %) portadores asintomáticos, 2 (10,5 %) con esferocitosis hereditaria ligera, 9 (47,4 %) con la forma típica y 2 (10,5 %) con la forma severa. Diez (52,6 %) tenían defecto de espectrina, de ellos, 6 (31,5 %) con otra alteración asociada. En 8 (42,1 %) no se pudo precisar el defecto bioquímico. No observamos relación entre la alteración bioquímica y el cuadro clínico de la enfermedad. La expresión hematológica, bioquímica y clínica fue muy heterogénea entre las diferentes familias y entre los miembros afectados de cada una de ellas. La alteración bioquímica más frecuente fue la deficiencia de espectrina. Nuestros resultados son similares a los señalados por otros investigadores.

A hematologic, biochemical and clinical study was conducted in 6 patients diagnosed with inheritable spherocytosis (IS) and its relatives (40). There were 40 family carriers of this disease. In 4 family, the inheritance pattern was autosomal dominant, and in two of them it was impossible its determination. The 19 cases were classified in: 6 (31,6%) asymptomatic carriers,2 (10,5%) with light-inheritable spherocytosis, 9 (47,4%) con the typical presentation, and 2 (10,5%) with the severe presentation. Ten (52,6%) had spectrine defect , from them, 6 (31,5%) with another associated alteration. In 8 (42,1%) it was impossible to determine the biochemical defect. There was not relation between biochemical alteration and the clinical picture of this disease. Hematologic, biochemical and clinical expression was very heterogeneous among the different families and among the members affected of each. The more frequent biochemical alteration was the spectrine deficiency. Our results are similar to reported by other researchers.

Family based analysis of quantitative changes of erythrocyte membrane proteins in essential hypertension.

Our previous studies have found significant quantitative changes in the erythrocyte membrane proteins in essential hypertension (EH). The purpose of the present study was to quantify genetic and environmental contributions to quantitative variability of erythrocyte membrane proteins in EH. We studied 115 hypertensive patients, 126 normotensive subjects, 235 of their first-degree relatives and 24 twin pairs by sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The decomposition of total phenotypic variance of erythrocyte membrane proteins to genetic and environmental components was performed by the least squares method. We found that genetic factors play a significant role in the control of quantitative changes in erythrocyte membrane proteins in EH. The genetic contribution to anion exchanger variation was stronger in hypertensives (88%) than in normotensives (36%), and was attributed exclusively to additive polygenic effects. Variation in glucose transporter was under marked control of major gene effect (74%). Importantly, variations in anion and glucose transporters in EH but not in healthy controls were strongly affected by common underlying genes with strong pleiotropic effects (r=0.921, P<0.05). These data provide evidence to support the genetic source of quantitative changes in membrane proteins in EH. Furthermore, the pleiotropic effects of common underlying genes seem to be responsible for variations in the transport proteins likely associated with genetic susceptibility to essential hypertension.