Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Medical Laboratory Doctor, Kerman University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Kerman, Iran

2 Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Iran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Tehran, Iran

3 B.Sc. in Medical Laboratory Science

4 M.Sc. Student of Hemathology, Tarbiat Moddares University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Increased HbA2 is a characteristic finding in minor beta thalassemia. Minor β-thalassemia is a heterozygote form of β-thalassemia that carries thalassemia genes but does not cause thalassemia disease. Diagnosis of carriers is done by CBC, RBC Index, and HbA2 test. Very few cases of people with minorthalassemia have a normal HbA2. According to the results of this pilot study it seams that percentage of minor thalassemia is noticeable in Kerman province. In this survey parents of thalassemia major and intermedia were evaluated. The result showed that about two percent of them had normal HbA2 . All of the people with normal HbA2 were born in Kerman. We suggest that this type of study should be done in different cities of this province in order to take necessary steps in effective prevention of major-thalassemia.

Keywords