New Codanin-1 Gene Mutations in a Italian Patient with Congenital Dyserythropoietic Anemia Type I and Heterozygous Beta-Thalassemia.

Congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type I is an autosomal recessive disorder associated with macrocytic anemia, ineffective erythropoiesis, iron overloading and characterized by abnormal chromatin ultrastructure in erythroblasts such as internuclear chromatin bridges, spongy heterochromatin and invagination of the nuclear membrane. A 58-year-old Causasian man with chronic hemolytic anemia, heterozygous for ß (+) -globin IVS1, nt110 G>A mutation (causing abnormal alpha:beta globin chain ratio) showed clinical, laboratory and hematological features suggesting diagnosis of CDA1. Sequence analysis of CDA-related genes revealed compound heterozygosity for two novel mutations in the CDAN1 gene: a frameshift mutation 3367 del 4 (TTAG) in exon 25 and a missense mutation c.1811 G>T in exon 11 causing an aminoacid change from glycine to valine at codon 565 (G565V). One of the propositus' brothers showed the same gene mutations. As the CDA1 can mimic thalassemia, a frequent misdiagnosis is possible especially in countries where the prevalence of thalassemia is high. A strong clinical suspicion in patients who do not reveal a clear genetic basis for presumed thalassemia may help clinch the correct diagnosis.

Quantitative evaluation of oxidative stress status on peripheral blood in beta-thalassaemic patients by means of electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy.

High oxidative stress status (OSS) is known to be one of the most important factors determining cell injury and consequent organ damage in thalassaemic patients with secondary iron overload. Using an innovative hydroxylamine 'radical probe' capable of efficiently trapping majority of oxygen-radicals including superoxide we measured, by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, OSS in peripheral blood of 38 thalassaemic patients compared with sex-/age-matched healthy controls. Thalassaemic patients showed sixfold higher EPR values of OSS than controls. Significantly higher EPR values of OSS were observed in those with a severe phenotype (thalassaemia major, transfusion-dependent) with respect to mild phenotype (sickle-cell/beta-thalassaemia, not transfusion-dependent) or thalassaemia intermedia. In patients with thalassaemia major, EPR values of OSS were positively correlated with serum ferritin and with alanine aminotransferase levels. In patients with sickle cell/beta-thalassaemia, there was no correlation between EPR value of OSS and all parameters considered. The type of chelating therapy (desferrioxamine or deferiprone) did not have an effect on EPR value of OSS. In conclusion, EPR 'radical probe' seems to be a valid innovative method to determine total OSS in patients affected by thalassaemia and might be used for evaluating new strategies of chelation, new chelators, or the efficacy of antioxidant formula.