Influence of α-Thalassemia Trait on the Prevalence and Severity of Anemia in Pregnancy among Women in Kuwait

Abstract

α-Thalassemia is very common in the Kuwaiti population, but its influence on anemia of pregnancy has not been previously investigated. We have screened a group of 59 anemic (Hb <11 g/dl) pregnant women for the α-thal-2 (–α-3.7 kb) deletion which is the commonest α-thal allele in this community, using a polymerase chain reaction method. A control group of 35 nonanemic (Hb ≥11 g/dl) pregnant women was studied for comparison. All the women were in the second or third trimester of pregnancy. Among the 94 women in both groups, 69 (73.4%) had a normal complement of α-globin genes (αα/αα), 18 (19.1%) were heterozygotes (–α/αα) and 7 (7.4%) were homozygotes (–α/–α) giving an allele frequency of 17.0%. Among the anemic group, there were 44 (74.6%) individuals with a normal genotype, 9 (15.3%) heterozygotes and 6 (10.2%) homozygotes. In the nonanemic group, the corresponding prevalence figures were 25 (71.4%), 9 (25.7%) and 1 (2.9%), respectively. The difference between these distributions was statistically significant (χ² = 37.5, p < 0.0001). However, the mean Hb values were similar in heterozygotes, homozygotes and normal individuals. We, therefore, conclude that while the α-thal trait affects the prevalence of anemia among pregnant Kuwaiti women, it does not affect its severity.

Risk factors associated with anemia and iron deficiency among Kuwaiti pregnant women

“…Malaria and hookworm infections are not endemic in Kuwait due to improved (Hira et al 1988, Iqbal et al 1999). However, studies have shown that a-thalassemia is common in the Kuwaiti population (Diejomaoh et al 2000). In the present study we do not have any information on hemoglobinopathies, and this merits further investigations.…”

Prevalence and Determinants of Anemia and Iron Deficiency in Kuwait

“…Several studies of anemia in Kuwait have focused on hemoglobinapathies such as sickle cell disease or α- or β-thalassemia [ 7 , 6 , 26 ]. Studies of nutritional causes of anemia and ID in Kuwait are based on small non-representative samples taken from clinical or hospital-based studies [ 8 , 9 , 10 ].…”

“…Most studies of anemia in Kuwait have focused on the genetic causes of anemia such as sickle cell disease or thalassemia [ 6 , 7 ]. Estimates of nutritional causes of anemia have been based on small epidemiological studies, or clinical, or hospital-based studies [ 8 , 9 , 10 ] with limited generality.…”

Epidemiological profile of common haemoglobinopathies in Arab countries

“…1 % in Baghdad (502) (Yahya et al 1996) 4.14 % in Sulaimania, northeast Iraq (1,472) (Jalal et al 2008) Jordan 3.04 % (1,020) (Babiker et al 1999) 2.26 % in Badia region (1,020) (Babiker et al 1999) 5.93 % (2,858) (Sunna et al 1996) 3.1 % in North Jordan (1,000) (Bashir et al 1992) 3.5 % (1,000) (Bashir et al 1992) 3.5 % in Jordan valley (456) (Bashir et al 1991) 3.3 % (456) (Bashir et al 1991) Kuwait 3 % (Galanello et al 2003) 26.5 % (94) (Diejomaoh et al 2000) 4.6 % (345) (Simsek et al 1993 (Rajab et al 2000) 38.9 %. (White et al 1986) 1.5 % (1,000) (White et al 1993) 48.5 % (7,837) (Alkindi et al 2010) 2.8 % (7,837) (Alkindi et al 2010) 58.3 % (87) (Hassan et al 2010) 2.4 % (790) (White et al 1986) Palestinian territories 4.3 % (1,650) (Sirdah et al 1998) 3.5 % in West Bank (Darwish et al 2005).…”