[Globin synthesis in erythroid cultures from normal and thalassemic subjects].

Relative alpha and beta chain synthesis in erythroid bursts derived from human bone marrow and peripheral blood are presented. The biosynthetic ratios obtained are compared with those of the reticulocytes. The data obtained cell culture are similar to the "in vivo" ones, showing and alpha/beta ratio of 1 in normal individuals and higher than 1 in beta thalassemic heterozygous. The use of erythroid cell culture as an experimental model for the study of differentiation at molecular level is therefore possible.