Prevalence of hemoglobinopathies among marrying couples in Erbil province of Iraq

Abstract

Background: Thalassemia is the most common genetic disorders worldwide, widely spread throughout the Mediterranean region including Iraq. One effective method to reduce incidence of thalassemias and sickle cell disease is premarital screening. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of β-thalassemia trait and other hemoglobinopathies among subjects attending the premarital screening center in Erbil. Materials And Methods: Over a period of 1 year, 6224 couples were screened for hemoglobinopathies. Screened subjects were categorized according to the result of complete blood count, serum ferritin, and hemoglobin (Hb) electrophoresis into six groups, namely, normal, β-thalassemia carriers, α-thalassemia carriers, sickle cell carriers, Hb-H (HbH) disease, and iron deficiency anemia. Results: The prevalence of β-thalassemia trait was 6.94% (864/12448) with nearly equal proportions between male and female (male to female ratio = 1:1.1). HbH disease and sickle cell trait were less common. Iron deficiency anemia was reported in 52 subjects (0.4%). Conclusion: We found a relatively high prevalence rate of heterozygous β-thalassemia among the studied sample in comparison to prevalence figures from reports in the nearby geographic locations.

Keywords

• Erbil
• hemoglobinopathies
• iron deficiency anemia
• marital screening
• thalassemia