A deletion of the long arm of chromosome 5 causes chromosome 5 deletion syndrome, which predisposes to anemia.
A deletion of the long arm of chromosome 5 causes chromosome 5 long arm deletion syndrome, also known as 5q- syndrome, a disease type of myelodysplasia that is usually caused by a mutation in a somatic cell and is not usually inherited.
The patient’s blood will contain immature blood cells that have not developed properly, resulting in too many naïve cells and too few mature blood cells. The development of red blood cells in patients with a deletion of the long arm of chromosome 5 is greatly affected, resulting in the development of anemia.
Some patients with chromosome 5 long arm deletion do not have symptoms of anemia in the early stages, but as the condition worsens, they may show extreme fatigue, weakness and pallor.