This gene encodes a haptoglobin-related protein that binds hemoglobin as efficiently as haptoglobin. Unlike haptoglobin, plasma concentration of this protein is unaffected in patients with sickle cell anemia and extensive intravascular hemolysis, suggesting a difference in binding between haptoglobin-hemoglobin and haptoglobin-related protein-hemoglobin complexes to CD163, the hemoglobin scavenger receptor. This protein may also be a clinically important predictor of recurrence of breast cancer. [provided by RefSeq, Oct 2011].
Inamoto, Martin, Paczesny, Tabellini, Momin, Mumaw, Flowers, Lee, Carpenter, Storer, Hanash, Hansen: "Association of Plasma CD163 Concentration with De Novo-Onset Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease." in: Biology of blood and marrow transplantation : journal of the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Vol. 23, Issue 8, pp. 1250-1256, (2018) (PubMed).