We found that the relative expression of SLC5A3 mRNA in patients with HbH disease and HbH-CS disease was lower than that in normal controls without thalassemia, and the relative expression of SLC5A3 mRNA in patients with HbH-CS disease was lower than that in patients with other types of HbH disease (—SEA/ αWS α,—SEA/- α3.7,—SEA/- α4.2) (Fig 1a and 1b). This evidence concerns the gene SLC5A3 and thalassemia.