CTNNB1 and hemoglobin measurement: The molecular mechanism involved in the development and progression of HB includes overexpression of insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF2) (Li et al, 1998b; Gray et al, 2000; Hartmann et al, 2000), downregulation of RASSF1A by promoter hypermethylation (Sugawara et al, 2007; Honda et al, 2008) and alterations of genes in the Wnt signalling pathway; most notably, the high incidence of CTNNB1 (catenin, β1) mutation (Koch et al, 1999; Taniguchi et al, 2002).