Comparative Study of Red Blood Cell Parameters in Different Hemoglobinopathies Diagnosed by HPLC at a Tertiary Care Hospital, Rajkot, Gujarat

Abstract

Background: Inherited disorders of hemoglobin (hemoglobinopathies) are the most common genetic disorders in the world with 7% prevalence. Thalassemia and sickle cell anemia are the most prevalent hemoglobinopathies in India. Screening and diagnosis of hemoglobinopathies require a comprehensive evaluation combining clinical and family history, blood counts, red blood cell indices, and molecular analysis. Aims and Objective: (1) To differentiate the type of hemoglobinopathies on the basis of red cell parameters, (2) to assess the spectrum of hemoglobinopathies, and (3) to study the age at diagnosis and genderwise distribution of various hemoglobinopathies. Material and Methods: A prospective observational study over a period of 1 year (August 2020 to July 2021) at a tertiary care hospital, Rajkot, Gujarat. All indoor patients’ samples were sent for complete blood count (CBC), peripheral smear examination, reticulocyte count, sickling test, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Result: A total of 140 subjects were included in the final analysis. The mean age at diagnosis was 24.7 ± 10.5 years; 48 participants were male, and the remaining 92 were female with an M:F ratio of 0.5:1. The most common hemoglobinopathy in this study was sickle cell trait (40 cases, 28.6%). Conclusion: To reduce the burden of various hemoglobinopathies, screening is recommended as a part of antenatal checkup and in infants after 6 months of age in high-prevalence districts for particular hemoglobinopathies via CBC including RBC indices and HPLC.

Keywords

• complete blood count (cbc)
• hemoglobinopathies
• high-performance liquid chromatography (hplc)
• rbc indices