1. Role of Genomic Biomarkers in Increasing Fetal Hemoglobin Levels Upon Hydroxyurea Therapy and in β-Thalassemia Intermedia: A Validation Cohort Study.
- Author
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Kolliopoulou A, Siamoglou S, John A, Sgourou A, Kourakli A, Symeonidis A, Vlachaki E, Chalkia P, Theodoridou S, Ali BR, Katsila T, Patrinos GP, and Papachatzopoulou A
- Subjects
- Alleles, Female, Genomics methods, Genotype, Humans, Male, Mutation, Phenotype, Severity of Illness Index, Treatment Outcome, beta-Thalassemia blood, beta-Thalassemia diagnosis, Biomarkers, Fetal Hemoglobin, Hydroxyurea therapeutic use, beta-Globins genetics, beta-Thalassemia drug therapy, beta-Thalassemia genetics
- Abstract
Hemoglobinopathies exhibit a remarkable phenotypic diversity in terms of disease severity, while individual genetic background plays a key role in differential response to drug treatment. In the last decade, genomic variants in genes located within, as well as outside the human β-globin cluster have been shown to be significantly associated with Hb F increase, in relation to hydroxyurea (HU) therapy in patients with these diseases. Here, we aim to determine the effect of genomic variants located in genes, such as MAP3K5 , ASS1 , NOS2A , TOX , PDE7B , NOS1, FLT1 and ARG2 , previously shown to modulate fetal hemoglobin (Hb F) levels in patients with β type hemoglobinopathies and reflecting disease severity and response to HU therapy in an independent cohort of Greek patients with these diseases. We recruited and genotyped 45 β-thalassemia patients (β-thal), either transfusion-dependent (TDT) or non transfusion-dependent (NTDT), 42 Hb S ( HBB : c.20A>T)-β-thal compound heterozygotes, who were treated with HU, as well as 53 healthy individuals, all of Hellenic origin. Our study showed that genomic variants of the MAP3K5 , NOS2A and ARG2 gene are associated with HU therapy efficacy in Hb S-β-thal compound heterozygotes. We have also shown that FLT1 and ARG2 genomic variants are associated with the mild phenotype of NTDT patients. Our findings provide evidence that MAP3K5 , NOS2A , ARG2 and FLT1 genomic variants could be considered as genomic biomarkers to predict HU therapy efficacy in Hb S-β-thal compound heterozygotes and also to describe disease severity in patients with β type hemoglobinopathies.
- Published
- 2019
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