title: Diagnostic strategy for thalassemias and other hemoglobinopathies: a program applied to the Hellenic Army recruits.
abstract: A program for the detection of thalassemias and other hemoglobinopathies in high-risk populations is described. This program, based on two screening tests, was applied to the Hellenic Army recruits and was found to work well. Red cell one-point osmotic fragility was used for the detection of thalassemic samples and hemoglobin electrophoresis for screening of other hemoglobinopathies. Samples with decreased red cell osmotic fragility and/or abnormal electrophoretic pattern were submitted for further detailed investigation. Following this program, 64,814 recruits, representing 0.651% of the total Greek population and 9.917% of the 20-year-old Greek male population, were tested. beta-Thalassemia was found with an average incidence of 5.476% and alpha-Thalassemia with an incidence of 0.201%. Hemoglobinopathy Lepore was detected in 51 samples (0.079%) and hemoglobinopathy-S in 352 samples (0.543%).
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology, 401 Army General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Tegos
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Voutsadakis
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Karmas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006115:Greece; D006453:Hemoglobinopathies / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D012307:Risk Factors; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*