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Admission screening was performed on 684 Chinese-Canadian patients for thalassemia, abnormal hemoglobins and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency. Thirty-six healthy Chinese adults were also studied. The incidence of beta-thalassemia minor (hemoglobin A(2) greater than 3.5%) was 3.8%. Presumptive alpha-thalassemia minor (demonstration of occasional red cells containing hemoglobin H inclusion bodies) was found in 6.7%. Two patients had findings consistent with alpha-beta-thalassemia. The incidence of G-6-PD deficiency (abnormal methemoglobin reduction test) in adult males was 4.7%. In a parallel study the incidence of hemoglobin Bart's in 310 Chinese newborns was 6.8%. Two mutant hemoglobins were found - hemoglobin E and hemoglobin J (Bangkok).

Two unrelated Chinese-Canadian families with recurrent hydrops fetalis are described. The investigation, acid-base and blood gas studies, and clinical course of one hydropic fetus with large amounts of hemoglobin Bart's who survived for three hours are described. Data for the parents of both families, consistent with the alphathalassemia carrier state, are presented.

Guanosine tetraphosphate, recently discovered to mediate the regulatory relationship between protein synthesis and RNA accumulation in various bacteria, has been synthesized in vitro in large quantities and analyzed by natural-abundance (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in order to confirm its structure and establish the positions of phosphate attachment. These studies have established its structure as guanosine 5'-diphosphate, 3'-diphosphate.