The HBS1L-MYB intergenic region on chromosome 6q23.3 influences erythrocyte, platelet, and monocyte counts in humans

Common sequence variants situated between the HBS1L and MYB genes on chromosome 6q23.3 (HMIP) influence the proportion of F cells (erythrocytes that carry measurable amounts of fetal hemoglobin). Since the physiological processes underlying the F-cell variability are thought to be linked to kinetics of erythrocyte maturation and differentiation, we have investigated the influence of the HMIP locus on other hematologic parameters. Here we show a significant impact of HMIPvariability on several types of peripheral blood cells: erythrocyte, platelet, and monocyte counts as well as erythrocyte volume and hemoglobin content in healthy individuals of European ancestry. These results support the notion that changes of F-cell abundance can be an indicator of more general shifts in hematopoietic patterns in humans.