RARE AND NEW MUTATIONS OF B-GLOBIN IN AZARI POPULATION OF IRAN, A CONSIDERABLE DIVERSITY

Background Thalassemia, as the most common single-gene genetic disorder, is related to a defect in the synthesis of one or more hemoglobin chains. More than 200 mutations have been identified in the beta-globin gene. Globally, every susceptible racial group has its own specific spectrum of the common mutations that are well-known to a particular geographic region. On the other hand, varying numbers of diverse rare mutations may occur. Materials and Methods The subjects of the study included 2113 heterozygote or homozygote beta-thalassemia cases selected among couples who participated in the Iranian national thalassemia screening program from January 2011 to November 2019. Molecular characterization of the beta-thalassemia mutation was initially carried out by the amplification-refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) technique for common mutations, followed by sequencing, Gap PCR, and Multiple ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) methods - in cases not detected by the ARMS-PCR. Results The existence of 39 rare and new point mutations and 4 large deletions were described in our cohort. Sicilian (-13,337bp) deletion, CD36/37 (-T), and CD15 TGG>TGA were encountered more often than the others in a decreasing order, in terms of frequency. The least frequent mutations/deletions were deletion from HBD exon 1 to HBB promoter, 619 bp deletion, Deletion from up HBBP1Exon3 HBBP1 and up HBB-0.5Kb down HBB, CAP+8 C>A, CD37 (G>A), CD6 (-A), IVSI-2 (T>C), IVSII-705 T>G, and IVSII-772 (G>A). Each occurred once. Five mutations/variants were also determined which have not been reported previously in Iran. Conclusion According to the findings of the study, the Northwestern Iranian population displayed a wide variety of thalassemia allelic distributions. Identification of rare and new mutations in the beta-thalassemia in the national population is beneficial for screening programs, genetic counseling, and prenatal diagnosis