A TEST TO SCREEN FOR ALPHA-THALASSEMIA-1 IN ADULTS

THE GENETIC DISORDER ALPHA-THALASSEMIA-1 IS FOUND WITH HIGHEST FREQUENCY IN INDIVIDUALS OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN ANCESTRY. WHILE THE HETEROZYGOUS FORM MAY HAVE NO ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS EXCEPT FOR SLIGHT ANEMIA, THE HOMOZYGOUS CONDITION (KNOWN AS HYDROPS FETALIS) CAUSES FETAL DEATH. THERE IS NO READILY AVAILABLE CLINICAL ASSAY TO SCREEN ADULTS FOR THIS TRAIT. HOWEVER, IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT CARRIERS OF THE ALPHA-THALASSEMIA-1 GENE PRODUCE SMALL QUANTITIES OF THE EMBRYONIC HEMOGLOBIN ZETA-CHAIN. THE GOAL OF THE FIRST PHASE OF THIS PROJECT IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A HYBRIDOMA PRODUCING MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES TO HEMOGLOBIN ZETA-CHAINS. WITH SUCH AN ANTIBODY IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO THEN DEVELOP AN ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOASSAY WITH THE CHARACTERISTICS NEEDED TO RAPIDLY SCREEN ADULTS FOR ALPHA-THALASSEMIA-1.