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Iranian patients with hemoglobin H disease: genotype–phenotype correlation

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Abstract

Thalassemia is one of the most common monogenic hereditary disorders. Despite noticeable advances made in prevention strategies, it is still highly prevalent in the Iranian population. A key approach to management and early diagnosis of the disease is through revealing the regions with high prevalence and determining common genetic and phenotypic diversity. In the current study Hemoglobin H (HbH) disease patients were analyzed as the most common form of thalassemia intermedia in Iran. A total of 80 patients suspected of being thalassemic according to their mild to moderate anemia, microcytosis and normal iron levels were included in this study at the hemoglobinopathy and thalassemia center of Ahvaz University of Medical Science. Patients were analyzed for hematological parameters and HbH mutations using Multiplex Gap Polymerase Chain Reaction and Multiplex Amplification Refractory Mutation System. Twelve mutations were detected in the studied population. The most common genotype was -α3.7/--MED (45%) followed by Homozygote αPoly A2 (17.5%). A total of ten different alpha-globin (α-globin) mutations were observed in patients which --MED, being the most common mutation (26.27%), followed by -α3.7 (24.37%) and αpolyA2(A>G) (18.12%). Hematological parameters such as Hb, MCV, MCH and HbH were assessed and results showed that they varied significantly among genotypes, adjusted to age and gender. This study reveals a highly diverse range of HbH patients different from what was thought in terms of both genotype and phenotype in the Khuzestan region of Iran. These findings could contribute to improve the thalassemia managing policies in this province.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank all our colleagues in Shafa Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Deputy of Management and Resources Development, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran

    Mostafa Paridar

  2. Research Center for Thalassemia and Hemoglobinopathy, Health Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Ebrahim Azizi & Bijan Keikhaei

  3. Laboratory Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Science, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran

    Vahideh Takhviji

  4. Department of Hematology and Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

    Iman Baluchi

  5. Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, IBTO HQ, Adjacent to Milad Tower, Hemmat EXPY, Tehran, 14665-1157, Iran

    Abbas Khosravi

Authors
  1. Mostafa Paridar
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  2. Ebrahim Azizi
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  3. Bijan Keikhaei
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  4. Vahideh Takhviji
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  5. Iman Baluchi
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  6. Abbas Khosravi
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Correspondence to Abbas Khosravi.

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Paridar, M., Azizi, E., Keikhaei, B. et al. Iranian patients with hemoglobin H disease: genotype–phenotype correlation. Mol Biol Rep 46, 5041–5048 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-019-04955-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-019-04955-9

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