Imbalanced hemoglobin synthesis

What it means

Normal hemoglobin synthesis is characterized by production of equal amounts of alpha and beta globins. This term refers to a deviation from this pattern and is the main characteristic of the various forms of thalassemia.

While imbalanced hemoglobin synthesis can be inferred from other findings including those of hemoglobin electrophoresis, the determination of this feature requires investigation of hemoglobin synthesis in vitro, e.g., by incubation of washed peripheral blood erythrocytes and bone marrow cells with radioactively labeled leucine followed by column chromatography.

Rare diseases that can present with this3

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Imbalanced haemoglobin synthesis · Imbalanced Hb synthesis