[Genetic Effect Analysis of β-globin Gene 3'UTR+101G>C (HBB:c. *233G>C) Variant].

Objective: To investigate whether β-globin gene 3'UTR+101G>C (HBB:c.*233G>C) variant has genetic effect and provide basis for gene diagnosis and genetic counseling.

Method: Whole blood cell analysis and capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) were used to analyze the hematological indexes. The most frequent 23 mutations in southern Chinese individuals were routinely measured by PCR-flow fluorenscence immunmicrobeads assay. Sanger sequencing was used to detect the other variants of β-globin gene (HBB).

Results: In 463 cases, a total of 7 cases with HBB:c.*233G>C variant were detected, among them 4 cases carried other pathogenic variants of HBB gene (2 cases were in trans, 2 cases were in cis), who had typical hematological characteristics of mild β-thalassemia, and 3 cases also carried abnormal hemoglobin variation, but did not have hematological characteristics of β-thalassemia.

Conclusion: The study shows that HBB:c.*233G > C variant has no obvious genetic effect and should be a benign polymorphism.