Will beta thalassemia minor affect the relationship DNA test?

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Based on your query, my opinion is as follows:

1. No, a relationship DNA test will not be affected.
2. It is autosomal related. He may or may not be a carrier. A DNA test will look at multiple patterns.
3. If you want, you can go for a DNA test. Being affected by thalassemia is not going to affect the test.

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Based on your query, my opinion is as follows:

1. RBC - red blood cell is an anucleate cell. While coming out of the bone marrow, it loses the nucleus, and hence, without a nucleus DNA test cannot be done.
2. WBC (white blood cell) is the only blood cell, containing a nucleus. So, a DNA test can be done on that.
3. An immature RBC while it was in the marrow is called a normoblast and this normoblast contains a nucleus. Every cell in the body has a nucleus to develop certain physiological characteristics.
4. The RBC has developed the characteristics of thalassemia while it was a normoblast and when it is coming out of the marrow, it is mature and it loses the nucleus. By this point, chromosome 11, would have affected its characteristics and the cells will be smaller and hypochromic with features of thalassemia. During formation, they are affected.
5. The RBCs are smaller because the RBC contains two components, heme, and globin. Thalassemia is a disorder of globin synthesis and hence as it is not synthesized, the RBC will be smaller. The alleles will be normal size only.
6. As earlier told, thalassemia is a disorder of globin synthesis and it is exclusively found in RBC. Hence, WBC or platelets is not affected.
7. Yes, if necessary you can go for a test. A child being a carrier or not cannot decide the relationship, as the particular gene or allele may not have been carried.
8. If you were not a carrier (one gene affected) and a trait (both genes affected), then definitely one gene would have carried. Here you being a carrier, it may not have carried.
9. The kid might or might not have inherited the carrier gene and hence he might be completely safe. However, this is not going to affect the DNA test in any way.