Abstract
The hemoglobin type of 360 adult Cambodian subjects was determined by cellulose acetate electrophoresis and microcolumn chromatoraphy. The following distributions and frequencies of the Hb E (βE) and the β-thalassemia (β-thal) genes were found: in a group of 264 Cambodians of rural areas 153 Hb A, 83 Hb AE, 19 Hb E, and nine β-thalassemia minor (frequency βE 0.2292, β-thal 0.0170). In an urban group from the capital Phnom Penh there were 68 Hb A 21 Hb AE, four Hb E, and three β-thalassemia minor (frequency βE 0.1510, β-thal 0.0156). The low frequency of βE in the urban group is probably due to Chinese admixture. Possible causes of the observed deficiency of Hb AE heterozygotes in comparison with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium are discussed.