Hereditary spherocytosis overlooked for 7 years in a pediatric patient with β-thalassemia trait and novel compound heterozygous mutations of SPTA1 gene

Abstract

Objectives: We aimed to determine the clinical and genetic characteristics of a boy diagnosed with the beta-thalassemia trait. He also had hereditary spherocytosis (HS) that had been overlooked for 7 years. Methods: Blood samples collected from the proband and his family were assessed by laboratory tests, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) and Sanger sequencing. Results: The beta-thalassemia trait was complicated with HS in the proband. Compound heterozygous mutations of the Spectrin Alpha, Erythrocytic 1 (SPTA1) gene, c.83G > A and c.190G > A in the proband were inherited from his mother and father, respectively, and he also had the heterozygous c.126_129delCTTT mutation in the Hemoglobin Subunit Beta (HBB) gene. The c.190G > A mutation has not yet been added to the Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD (R)). The heterozygous HBB c.126_129delCTTT mutation was inherited from his mother, and his older brother also had this mutation. Conclusion: Compared with other patients with either HS or beta-thalassemia, this proband with both HS and the beta-thalassemia trait had very complicated laboratory findings, which resulted in HS being overlooked for 7 years. Genetic testing is invaluable for the differential diagnosis of hereditary anemias with overlapping clinical features.