Factors Influencing Anhaptoglobinemia in Newborns from Salvador, Brazil

Abstract

A total of 505 newborns and their mothers were studied. The frequency of classifiable haptoglobin in the cord blood was 8%, with males showing a significantly higher prevalence (10%) than females (5%). Among the infants with haptoglobin patterns at birth there was a significant excess of type 1–1, as compared with the distribution found among the mothers. The following characteristics showed no effect in the observed anhaptoglobinemia: ABO incompatibility; birth weight; racial characteristics of the babies and of their mothers; socioeconomic level, parity, and haptoglobin type of the mothers.

Haptoglobin and birth weight in a Bengalee population

“…DISCUSSION In contrast to the results of Azevedo et al (1974), the present study shows a relationship between birth weight and the presence of detectable HP types in cord blood. The maturity of the newborn reflected in birth weight may be a factor that has a significant role in the synthesis of H P types detectable in cord blood a t birth…”

“…The significantly higher (Chi2 = 36.43, 1 d.f., P < 0.0001) incidence of detectable HP types in the present study, 42.30%, compared to 23.3% reported by Beckman and Grivea (1964) might, to some extent, be due t o the use of the PAGE instead of Starch Gel electrophoresis method (Galatius-Jensen, 1960;Beckman and Grivea, 1964;Azevedo et al, 1974). Utility of the PAGE method for yielding improved separation and clearer resolution of bands has already been reported (Hoppe et al, 1972;Pastewka et al, 1973) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author is thankful to UGC, New Delhi, for an NET fellowship during 1987-1992, and to Prof. A.R.…”

“…Difficulty in ascertaining haptoglobin (HP) types in cord blood samples of the newborn was first reported by Galatius-Jensen (1958 and subsequently by Beckman and Grivea (19641, Prokop and Uhlenbruck (1969), Azevedo et al (1974) and Banerjee et al (1987). There is wide range of variability (10-40%) in the incidence of detectable HP types in blood samples of newborns.…”

Polymorphism of human haptoglobin and its clinical importance

“…The level of Hp in fetuses, cord blood and neonates is usually very low (Galatius-Jensen, 1958). Azevedo et al (1974), in an investigation of the factors that could influence ahaptoglobinemia in Brazilian neonates, detected Hp in only 8% of neonates, with a predominance of the Hp1-1 phenotype.…”