Alpha-thalassemias are characterized by decreased hemoglobin alpha chain synthesis; alpha-zerothalassemia being the condition where no normal alpha globin is produced, and alpha-plus-thalassemia being the condition where there is reduced globin production. There are two alpha globin genes per haploid genome, and alpha thalassemia abnormalities can result from one to four gene deletions. A singl...

Alpha-dystroglycanopathies are a clinically and genetically heterogenous group of muscular dystrophies characterized by the reduced or absent glycosylation of alpha-dystroglycan (Muntoni et al., 2002). The hypoglycosylation of alpha-dystroglycan leads to decreased binding of its ligands, including laminin, agrin and perlecan in skeletal muscle and neurexin in the brain. The only known target fo...

Alpha-dystroglycanopathies are a clinically and genetically heterogenous group of muscular dystrophies characterized by the reduced or absent glycosylation of alpha-dystroglycan (Muntoni et al., 2002). The hypoglycosylation of alpha-dystroglycan leads to decreased binding of its ligands, including laminin, agrin and perlecan in skeletal muscle and neurexin in the brain. The only known target fo...

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is an inherited disorder that may cause severe lung and liver disease.