Role of Naked Eye Single Tube Red Cell Osmotic Fragility Test (NESTROFT) in Detecting Beta-Thalassemia Trait

Abstract

Thalassemia is one of the commonest inherited diseases in Bangladesh. The birth of a thalassemic child places considerable strain, not only on the affected child and its family but also on the community and the nation at large. To reduce the burden of the society and to reduce the disease incidence by providing genetic counseling, detection of carrier is important. The present study evaluates the role of ‘Naked Eye Single Tube Red Cell Osmotic Fragility Test’ (NESTROFT) in detecting ß-thalassemia trait. The current study is a cross sectional study done during the period of September 2008 to August 2009. The study subjects were sibs, parents and relatives of thalassemia patients of age more than 1 year attending Pediatric department of Chittagong Medical College Hospital. Sample size was 50. Here subjects with lowered osmotic fragility test were detected and later on Hb- electrophoresis was done. All the data were recorded and analyzed by SPSS programme. The Sensitivity, Specificity and predictive value of positive and negative tests were computed and they were 92.6%, 80%, 92.6% and 80% respectively. False positive cases were found. The present study found NESTROFT to be both sensitive and reasonably specific and of high negative predictive value. However, multicenter study with large sample is needed to recommend NESTROFT as a single screening test for detection of ß-thalassemia trait.J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2018; 36(4): 145-152

Evaluation of Naked Eye Single Tube Red Cell Osmotic Fragility Test (NESTROFT) in Screening and Diagnosis of Beta Thalassaemia Trait in Pakistani Population

“…According to the study, compared with the control group, all 100 participants in the carrier group showed a positive NESTROFT test with concomitant low values of MCH and MCV making NESTROFT to be a rapid and a reliable method for the detection of thalassaemia trait among our population 18 . Pakistan is one of the highly prevalent countries suffering from inherited haemoglobinopathies, which poses a huge economic burden on the country 2,19 .…”

“…Beta Thalassaemia is a group of inherited blood disorders in which the body's ability to produce normal hemoglobin is impaired with reduction in capacity of red blood cells to carry oxygen 1 . Beta thalassaemia is more prevalent in Mediterranean regions, Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia 2 .…”