Premarital Screening is Pivotal in Reducing the Births of Babies Affected with Thalassemia Major in Iraq.

Thalassemia major is one of the health problems in Iraq, especially in Kurdistan. Pre-marriage mandatory preventive screening program was established in Kurdistan in 2008, which allowed us to study the prevalence of different hemoglobinopathies among newly married young adults in this region. A total of 1154 subjects (577 couples) attending the Koya district, premarital Health center, were screened using red cell indices. Those who had mean corpuscular volume (MCV)<80 fl and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH)<27 pg had high-performance liquid chromatography and iron studies. Out of 1154 individuals that were evaluated, 183 (11.9%) had low MCV and MCH. Of the former 183 subjects, 69 (5.97%) had ß-thalassemia trait, 10 (0.86%) had δß-thalassemia trait, and no other hemoglobinopathies were recorded in our study. There was second-degree consanguinity in 4.7% of all 577 couples. In two couples, both partners had ß-thalassemia trait and both were consanguineous. Both couples decided to separate after counseling. Based on the current study, the role of the premarital screening program in decreasing the number of new thalassemia major cases among the Kurdish population is laudable. Therefore, mandatory premarital screening is advised in all parts of Iraq.

The Effects of Smoking on IgE, Oxidative Stress and Haemoglobin Concentration.

BACKGROUND: Smoking is a well-known related factor for many health problems in a human being through different ways of exposure. OBJECTIVES: Thie aim of the study was to examine the effects of different types of cigarette smoking on hemoglobin level, high sensitive C-Reactive Protein (hsCRP), Malondialdehyde (MDA), and IgE levels in healthy adult subjects. METHODS: One hundred seventy-one healthy adult females and males were included in this study. They divided into four groups: cigarette, shisha, passive smokers, and non-smokers groups. Serum samples from all groups analyzed for hemoglobin, hsCRP, IgE, and malondialdehyde level. RESULTS: The mean MDA, IgE, and hemoglobin levels significantly increased in both smokers (cigarette and Shisha groups) and passive smokers than in non-smokers group (p<0.05). The hsCRP levels were significantly increased (p<0.05) in cigarette and Shisha smokers compared to non-smokers. At the same time, there was a non-significant relationship between passive smoker in comparison to non-smokers (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: This study concluded that smoking, including cigarette and shisha, even passive smoking harmed health through increasing Malondialdehyde, serum IgE and hs-CRP levels in the body.