Where is beta thalassemia common?

Beta thalassemia occurs most frequently in people from Mediterranean countries, North Africa, the Middle East, India, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Where is thalassemia most common?

Traits for thalassemia are more common in people from Mediterranean countries, like Greece and Turkey, and in people from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. If you have anemia and you also have family members from these areas, your doctor might test your blood further to find out if you have thalassemia.

What is the difference between alpha thalassemia and beta thalassemia?

The thalassemias are a group of inherited hematologic disorders caused by defects in the synthesis of one or more of the hemoglobin chains. Alpha thalassemia is caused by reduced or absent synthesis of alpha globin chains, and beta thalassemia is caused by reduced or absent synthesis of beta globin chains.

What is Mentzer index in blood test?

Mentzer index is an MCV/RBC ratio calculation in which patients with a value of ˂13 is diagnosed as thalassemia carriers while a value of ˃13 is found in patients with iron deficiency [9, 10].

What are the 4 types of beta thalassemia?

There are several types of this disorder:

  • Beta thalassemia major (Cooley’s anemia).
  • Beta thalassemia minor or thalassemia trait.
  • Beta thalassemia major: This is the most severe type of this disorder.
  • Thalassemia minima: This type often causes no symptoms.

What part of the body does thalassemia affect?

Thalassemia is often accompanied by the destruction of a large number of red blood cells. This causes your spleen to enlarge and work harder than normal. An enlarged spleen can make anemia worse, and it can reduce the life of transfused red blood cells.

What are the 4 types of alpha thalassemia?

Alpha thalassemia occurs when some or all of the 4 genes that make hemoglobin (the alpha-globin genes) are missing or damaged….There are 4 types of alpha thalassemia:

  • Alpha thalassemia silent carrier.
  • Alpha thalassemia carrier.
  • Hemoglobin H disease.
  • Alpha thalassemia major.

Which type of thalassemia is worse?

Different people will have different symptoms, based on which type of the disorder is inherited. Beta thalassemia major: This is the most severe type of this disorder. Children born with this type will have symptoms early in life that include: Pale skin.

How accurate is Mentzer index?

The Mentzer index was the most reliable index, as it had the highest sensitivity (98.7%), specificity (82.3%), and Youden’s index (81%) for detecting β-TT; this was followed by the Ehsani index (94.8%, 73.5%, and 68.3%, resp.) and RBC count (94.8%, 70.5%, and 65.3%).

What is the difference between anemia and thalassemia?

Anemia is a condition in which your body doesn’t have enough normal, healthy red blood cells. Thalassemia is inherited, meaning that at least one of your parents must be a carrier of the disorder. It’s caused by either a genetic mutation or a deletion of certain key gene fragments.