Red cell membrane protein in thalassemia and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency anemia.

Twenty cases of thalassemia major and 20 children with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency were studied for the protein content of their red cell membrane as well as for its fractions, compared to 20 normal controls. The results showed that the total membrane proteins per red cell and the various fraction percentages in both conditions were not significantly different from normal controls. Also the acrylamide gel electrophoretic studies of the red cell membrane proteins gave band patterns identical with those of normal controls. These results are discussed.