HAPTOGLOBIN is a plasma protein with hemoglobin binding capacity. HAPTOGLOBIN has important biological functions such as binding to free hemoglobin and removes it from the circulation, thus preventing iron loss and kidney damage during intravascular hemolysis, superior antioxidant capacity, protection against free radicals. Studies on the distribution of Hp show that the gene frequencies of Hp dependent on geographical and genetic family. In the other, several authors have showed the correlation between HP types and different diseases, such as inflammation, infection, cardiovascular diseases and malignant tumors. Smoking, hypertention, diabetes mellitus and serum lipid concentrations are risk factors for developing cardiovascular diseases. In addition, Hp polymorphism has been proposed as a risk factor for developing atherosclerotic vasculare disease. In this study, the association between HAPTOGLOBIN genotypic distribution and the incidence of coronary heart disease investigated. 50 Iranian patients with coronary heart disease were randomly selected. Genomic DNA extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes. In PCRs with primers A and B, amplification products of 1757 and 3481 bp were amplified from genomic DNA containing alleles Hp1 and Hp2, respectively. In the population studied, the distribution of HAPTOGLOBIN polymorphism was 36% (n=18) for the Hp1-1 type, 62% (n=31) for the HP1-2 type, and 2% (n=1) for the HP2-2 type. The trend in this study showing a lower frequency of 3-vessel disease and less severe coronary artery stenosis in patients with the HP1-1 phenotype than in patients with the HP1 - 2 phenotypes may be indicative of a protective effect of the HP1-1 phenotype against the development of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease.

Background: HAPTOGLOBIN (Hp) is a plasma a2-sialoglycoprotein that contains alpha and beta chains. It displays in three common phenotypes, Hp1-1, Hp2-1, and Hp2-2. Proteins expressed by polymorphic genes have grossly different molecular sizes resulting in different diffusion rates in the brain. HAPTOGLOBIN expressed by the Hp2-2 genotype has lower hemoglobin-binding capacity than Hp1-1 or Hp2-1 and is associated with idiopathic generalized epilepsy.Methods: To determine polymorphism in HAPTOGLOBIN genes in patients with idiopathic generalized tonic-clonic seizures, 42 men, 42 women, and 50 controls were selected for this study. Genomic DNA was extracted from blood and studied by polymerase chain reactions (PCR).Results: The amplified fragments for the Hp1-1 and Hp2-2 genotypes were 1757 and 3481 base pairs (bp) respectively, and the Hp2-1 genotype had both fragments, in addition to a 349-bp fragment. The distribution of the three majorHp phenotypes in epilepsy patients was 28.6 (1-1), 38.1 (2-1), and 33.3% (2-2) in the men, and 31 (1-1), 40.5 (2-1), and 28.6% (2-2) in the women. The distribution of Hp genotypes in controls was 22 (1-1), 40 (2-1), and 38% (2-2).Conclusion:We show that all Hp genotypes participate in idiopathic generalized epilepsy.

Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein of 101 clinically healthy Iranian fat-tailed sheep according to their age (<1, 1-3, 3-5 and >5 years) and sex. Serum HAPTOGLOBIN (Hp) was measured based upon the preservation of the peroxidase activity of haemoglobin, which is directly proportional to the amount of Hp. The reference value for serum Hp of apparently healthy Iranian fat-tailed sheep was 0.05-0.18 g/l. Age and sex had no significant effect on the serum concentration of Hp in examined animals.