International Journal of Pediatrics

Current Issue

By Issue

By Author

By Subject

Author Index

Keyword Index

About Journal

Aims and Scope

Editorial Board

Publication Ethics

Indexing and Abstracting

Related Links

FAQ

Peer Review Process

News

Premarital Screening for Beta-Thalassemia in Birjand City

Document Type : original article

Authors

1 Associate professor of pediatric, Cardiovascular Diseases Research Center,Birjand University of Medical Sciences(BUMS), Birjand, Iran.

2 professor of community medicine,Cardiovascular Diseases Research Center, department of community medicine, school of medicine, (BUMS), Birjand, Iran.

3 School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences (BUMS), Birjand, Iran.Sajjadakbari75@gmail.com

Abstract

Background: Thalassemia is a common inherited anemia; and population-level screening followed by molecular evaluation is the most effective way to prevent it. Given the significance of beta-thalassemia minor and its prevalence in communities, this study aimed to identify the prevalence of beta-thalassemia minor among participants in the pre-marital screening program in Birjand City, located in South Khorasan province, Iran.
Methods: The study included individuals who underwent pre-marital testing between 2014 -2019 and were categorized as high-risk for beta-thalassemia based on their blood indices and medical diagnosis. Data on their blood indices and follow-up results were collected from Birjand City's health center using a pre-designed form. The data were analyzed using statistical tests to assess significance.
Results: Out of 35,801 couples who underwent premarital testing, 195 (390 individuals) were identified as the high-risk group for beta-thalassemia. Among these high-risk couples, 67.2% responded to iron therapy. Thalassemia prevalence was 9.7% among high-risk couples, 31.6% among individuals at actual risk, and 76% among those who underwent Prenatal Diagnosis (PND). The mean values of MCV, MCH, and Mentzer indices were significantly higher in the group that responded to iron therapy compared to the group eligible for PND.
Conclusion: It was demonstrated that the prevalence of beta-thalassemia carriers among marriage applicants attending the health center in Birjand City is currently low. However, the implementation and continuity of beta-thalassemia screening programs for couples in this region can effectively prevent the birth of infants with thalassemia major and prevent unexpected medical treatment expenses.

Keywords

References
  1. Yadav SS, Panchal P, Menon KC. Prevalence and Management of β-Thalassemia in India. Hemoglobin. 2022 Jan 2; 46(1):27-32.
  2. Lichtman, M.A., Kaushansky K, Kipps TJ, Prchal JT, Levi MM. Williams Manual of Hematology. 2011: McGraw-Hill.
  3. Hashemizadeh HA, Noori R. Premarital screening of beta thalassemia minor in north-east of Iran. Iranian journal of pediatric hematology and oncology. 2013; 3(1):210.
  4. Mobasheri L, Chahkandi T, Talebpour A, Sarab GA. Red blood cell alloimmunization among transfusion-dependent thalassemia major patients in Northeastern Iran. Asian Journal of Transfusion Science. 2023 May 11.
  5. Chahkandi, T., Norouziasl S, Farzad M, Ghanad F. Endocrine disorders in beta thalassemia major patients. International Journal of Pediatrics, 2017. 5(8): p. 5531-5538.
  6. RezabeigiDavarani E, MohseniTakaloo F, Vahidnia A, Daneshi S, RezabeigiDavarani M, Khanjani N, Hushmandi K, Raei M. Epidemiological investigation of a twenty-year major β-thalassemia surveillance in Kerman, Iran. Archives of Hygiene Sciences. 2020 Oct 10; 9(4):265-74.
  7. HadipourDehshal M, TabriziNamini M, Hantoushzadeh R, YousefiDarestani S. β-Thalassemia in Iran: things everyone needs to know about this disease. Hemoglobin. 2019 May 4; 43(3):166-73.
  8. Origa R. β-Thalassemia. Genet Med. 2017 Jun; 19(6):609-619. doi: 10.1038/gim.2016.173. Epub 2016 Nov 3. PMID: 27811859.
  9. Wendt AS, Brintrup J, Waid JL, Kader A, Lambrecht NJ, Gabrysch S. Thalassemia and hemoglobinopathy prevalence in a community-based sample in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. 2023 Jul 19; 18(1):192.
  10. Aslamkhan M, Qadeer MI, Akhtar MS, Chudhary SA, Maryam M, Ali Z, Khalid A, Irfan M, Khan Y. CULTURAL CONSANGUINITY AS CAUSE OF β-THALASSEMIA PREVALENCE IN POPULATION. medRxiv. 2023:2023-06.
  11. Tuli, A. and E.D. Yenilmez, Invasive and Noninvasive Approaches in Prenatal Diagnosis of Thalassemias. Thalass Other Hemolytic Anemias, 2018
  12. Hasanshahi F, Khanjani N. Investigating the reasons for marriage among couples with thalassemia minor, in Iran. Journal of Community Genetics. 2021 Oct; 12:507-13.
  13. Valaei, A., Karimipoor M, Kordafshari A, Zeinali S. Molecular basis of α-thalassemia in Iran. Iranian Biomedical Journal, 2018. 22(1): p. 6.
  14. Nussbaum, R.M., R.R. McInnes, and H.F. Willard, Thompson & Thompson geneticsin medicine e-book. 2015: Elsevier Health Sciences.
  15. Khorasani, G., Kosaryan M, Vahidshahi K, Shakeri S, Nasehi MM. Results of the national program for prevention of β-thalassemia major in the Iranian Province of Mazandaran. Hemoglobin, 2008. 32(3): p. 263-271.
  16. Samavat, A. and B. Modell, Iranian national thalassaemia screening programme. Bmj, 2004. 329(7475): p. 1134-1137.
  17. Najmabadi, H., Ghamari A, Sahebjam F, Kariminejad R, Hadavi V, Khatibi T, Samavat A, Mehdipour E, Modell B, Kariminejad MH. Fourteen-year experience of prenatal diagnosis of thalassemia in Iran. Public Health Genomics, 2006. 9(2): p. 93-97.
  18. The prevalence of thalassemia trait in premarital consulting, couples center in the city of Sanandaj in year 89-91. Zanko J Med Sci 2014; 14 (43):11-18.
  19. Sharifi, A., Aminzadeh bookani M, Pourmoghaddam Z, Jozian F, Mahdieh N. A survey of Beta-Thalassemia Trait in Marriage Volunteers in Ilam: The Impact of National Guidelines for Prevention and Control of Thalassemia. Journal of Ilam University of Medical Sciences, 2015. 23(4): p. 148-157.
  20. Ghatee, M., et al., Study of prevalence of Thalassemia and comparison of hematological indices in types of Thalassemia in marriage candidate patients in Kohgiluye&Boyerahmad province in 1392.Armaghanedanesh, 2016. 21(1): p. 84-94.
  21. Rahmani S, Rostami S, Moradi G,Balbasi F, safaee A. The survey of thalassemia minor epidemiological in volunteers of marriage referred to health centers of javanroud city in 2013-14. 2015.
  22. Fathi A, Amani F, Mazhari N. The Incidence of Minor β-thalassemia Among Individuals Participated in Premarital Screening Program in Ardabil Province: North-west of Iran. Materia Socio-Medica, 2019. 31(4): p. 294.
  23. Abolghasemi, H., Amid A, Zeinali S, Radfar MH, Eshghi P, Rahiminejad MS, Ehsani MA, Najmabadi H, Akbari MT, Afrasiabi A, Akhavan-Niaki H, Hoorfar H. Thalassemia in Iran: epidemiology, prevention, and management.Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, 2007. 29(4): p. 233-238.
  24. Hayatbakhsh AM, Bahrampour A. determination of the rate of incidence of thalassemia minor among marriage condidates in kerman. 2002.
  25. Chahkandi T, Sadat JS. Prevalence of the minor-β thalassemia in birjand city. 2001.
  26. Gholamreza BM. The efficacy of the national screening guidelines for identification of betathalassemia carrier couples by using parental tests of patients with thalassemia major and intermedia. Razi J Med Sci (Journal Iran Univ Med Sci. 2020;27(1):9-16
  27. Shaianmehr M, Sadaghiyanifar A, Zareipour MA, Abassi M, Eftekhar E. Premarital screening of beta thalassemia in Urmia County of northwest Iran during 2014: a short report. Journal of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, 2016. 14(10): p. 903-910.
  28. Zarbakhsh B, Eghbalpour F, Farshadi E, Fallah MS, Karimipoor M, KaeiniMoghadam Z, Zeinali S. Frequency of alpha thalassemia carriers detected in Tehran premarriage screening using molecular techniques. Scientific Journal of Iran Blood Transfus Organ. 2013 Jan 10; 9(4):414-21.
International Journal of Pediatrics
Volume 11, Issue 10
October 2023
Pages 18306-18313
Files
Share
How to cite
Statistics