Minor changes in the sodium dodecyl sulphate-gel electrophoresis periodic acid-Schiff-staining profiles of erythrocyte membranes in beta-thalassemia major.

The sialic acid content of the human erythrocyte membrane is higher in homozygous beta-thalassemia than in heterozygous and healthy donors. Analysis of the difference by means of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in 1% sodium dodecyl sulphate and PAS staining failed to reveal significant variations in mobility and relative staining intensity of the main glycoprotein components, PAS-1, PAS-2 and PAS-3. The minor, although highly significant, changes which were recognized in the PAS pattern of beta-thalassemia patients compared with normal controls concerned the PAS-4 region and a shoulder trailing band PAS-2, which both increased in staining intensity relatively to the main sialocomponent PAS-1. Moreover, the shoulder was found to be more prominent in profiles from erythrocytes of blood group 0, in both normal and thalassemic subjects. The experimental data are discussed in the light of the presence of blood group ABH specific macroglycolipids in human erythrocytes (Dejter-Juszynski et al. 1978).