Proline-leucine polymorphism of human glutathione peroxidase 1 in Thalassemia major

Thalassemia is associated with low antioxidant enzyme deficiency especially glutathione peroxidase. GPX exists in 6 isomeric forms out of which GPX1 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism is found to be associated with Thalassemia major. In our study, the determination of the allelic frequency and phenotype of a common polymorphism in Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1) was observed in Thalassemic populations. A proline/leucine variant occurs at position 197 close to the C-terminus of the protein. The genotypes encoding Pro/Pro, Pro/Leu, and Leu/ Leu are distributed according to the Hardy-Weinberg relationship. The study has been carried out in 40 Thalassemic cases and 40 control subjects. No significant association between allele frequency and risk to get fatal was evident. Erythrocyte GPX activity was determined and no significant differences were obtained between the genotypes. It can be concluded that the Pro/Leu genetic variation does not appear to compromise the defense against oxidative stress in red blood cells or to be associated with significant pathology.