Beta Thalassemia Carrier Rate: Problem Burden among High School Children

Mohamed R El-Shanshory; Laila M Sherief; Sohier Yahia; Seham M Ragab; Ahmed K Mansour; Hoda M Hassab; Mervat A Hesham; Adel S Ahmed; Mohamed R Beshir; Wafaa M Abo El Fotoh; Sameh A Abd El Naby; Ahmed M Gad Alllah; Naglaa A Khalifa; Mohamed A Soliman; Faeza El-Dahtory; Reham M El-Farahaty; Engy Osman; Abdelazeem Elhabyan; Amal E Abd El-Lateef; Naglaa M Kamal; Ibrahim A Kabbash; Shimaa M Saied; Abdel-Rahman Eid

doi:10.2174/1573396318666220624142349

Beta Thalassemia Carrier Rate: Problem Burden among High School Children

Curr Pediatr Rev. 2023;19(2):203-209. doi: 10.2174/1573396318666220624142349.

Authors

Mohamed R El-Shanshory¹, Laila M Sherief², Sohier Yahia³, Seham M Ragab⁴, Ahmed K Mansour^{3

5}, Hoda M Hassab⁶, Mervat A Hesham², Adel S Ahmed², Mohamed R Beshir², Wafaa M Abo El Fotoh⁴, Sameh A Abd El Naby⁴, Ahmed M Gad Alllah⁷, Naglaa A Khalifa⁷, Mohamed A Soliman⁸, Faeza El-Dahtory⁹, Reham M El-Farahaty¹⁰, Engy Osman³, Abdelazeem Elhabyan¹¹, Amal E Abd El-Lateef¹², Naglaa M Kamal¹³, Ibrahim A Kabbash¹⁴, Shimaa M Saied¹⁴, Abdel-Rahman Eid³

Affiliations

¹ Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.
² Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.
³ Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Dakahlia, Egypt.
⁴ Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt.
⁵ Faculty of Medicine, Delta University for Science and Technology, Tanta, Egypt.
⁶ Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
⁷ Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.
⁸ Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt.
⁹ Consultant of Biochemistry, Genetic Unit, Children Hospital, Mansoura University, Dakahlia, Egypt.
¹⁰ Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Dakahlia, Egypt.
¹¹ Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.
¹² Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.
¹³ Pediatric Department, Kasr Alainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
¹⁴ Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Public Health, and Community Medicine Department, Tanta, Egypt.

PMID: 35748556
DOI: 10.2174/1573396318666220624142349

Abstract

Background & Aim of the Work: β-Thalassemia (βT) is highly prevalent in some countries like Egypt. Accurate data about actual disease prevalence and heavily prevalent geographic locations are essential to help in early detection and in setting up effective preventive programs. We aim for screening βT carriers among Egyptian high school students in the Delta region.

Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional multicenter study was carried out on 4320 randomly selected students from four governorates of the Nile Delta region, Egypt. All patients were to be tested for their complete blood count. Those with microcytic hypochromic anemia not caused by iron deficiency were tested for βT carrier status using high-performance liquid chromatography.

Results: The total prevalence of βT carrier rate was 6.13%. The highest prevalence was detected in Al-Sharkia Governorate, reaching 7.89%, followed by 6.90% in Al-Gharbia Governorate. Al- Dakahilia and Al-Menoufia showed lower rates of 4.86% and 3.73%, respectively.

Conclusion: Despite the premarital national screening program for βT in Egypt, the carrier rate is still high. More effort should be done into the proper implementation of national prevention programs.

Keywords: Egypt; carrier; national prevention programs; school children; screening; β-thalassemia.

Publication types

Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

Anemia, Hypochromic*
Child
Cross-Sectional Studies
Egypt / epidemiology
Humans
Prevalence
beta-Thalassemia* / diagnosis
beta-Thalassemia* / epidemiology

Grants and funding

12439/Science, Technology and Development Fund (STDF)