RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Screening of ß thalassemia among close relatives is more feasible in highly prevalent countries with limited resources. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of ß thalassemia carriers and iron deficiency anemia among relatives of ß thalassemia patients in Mid Delta, Egypt. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional multi-center study conducted on 2118 relatives of patients with ß thalassemia from different Egyptian governorates in the Mid Delta region. They were subjected to history taking with precise determination of geographic location, general examination, and the following investigations: complete blood counts, serum ferritin for those who showed microcytic hypochromic anemia, and high-performance liquid chromatography for those who were not diagnosed as iron deficiency anemia. RESULTS: The total prevalence of iron deficiency anemia among close relatives of confirmed ß thalassemia patients in the Nile Delta region was 17.19%. The highest prevalence of iron deficiency anemia (45.05%) was reported in Al-Gharbia Governorate, followed by Al-Menoufia Governorate (21.67%), and the lowest prevalence was that of Al-Sharkia Governorate (4.91%). The differences were highly statistically significant (p < 0.001). ß thalassemia carrier prevalence rate in the studied relatives was 35.84%, with the highest prevalence detected in Al-Sharkia Governorate (51.32%), followed by Kafr-Alsheikh and Al-Dakahilia Governorates (41.78%, 37.13%) respectively, while Al-Menoufia Governorate had the lowest prevalence rate (25.00%). These differences were also highly statistically significant (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: More than one-third of relatives of patients with ß thalassemia are carriers of the disease, while 17.19% suffer from iron deficiency anemia. This study demonstrates the importance of tracing the high number of beta thalassemia carriers among relatives of patients with ß thalassemia in Egypt.
RESUMEN
Background & Aim of the Work: ß-Thalassemia (ßT) is highly prevalent in some countries like Egypt. Accurate data about actual disease prevalence and heavily prevalent geographic locations are essential to help in early detection and in setting up effective preventive programs. We aim for screening ßT carriers among Egyptian high school students in the Delta region. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional multicenter study was carried out on 4320 randomly selected students from four governorates of the Nile Delta region, Egypt. All patients were to be tested for their complete blood count. Those with microcytic hypochromic anemia not caused by iron deficiency were tested for ßT carrier status using high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: The total prevalence of ßT carrier rate was 6.13%. The highest prevalence was detected in Al-Sharkia Governorate, reaching 7.89%, followed by 6.90% in Al-Gharbia Governorate. Al- Dakahilia and Al-Menoufia showed lower rates of 4.86% and 3.73%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Despite the premarital national screening program for ßT in Egypt, the carrier rate is still high. More effort should be done into the proper implementation of national prevention programs.