title: Alpha thalassaemia in Zambian newborn.
abstract: The umbilical cord blood from 109 consecutive Zambian neonates (excluding those found to be anti-HIV positive) were analysed for haemoglobin (Hb) Bart's and for alpha thalassaemia by restriction endonuclease analysis. This showed that 52.3% had the genotype alpha alpha/alpha alpha, 38.5% had -alpha 3.7/alpha alpha, 7.3% had -alpha 3.7/-alpha 3.7 and 1.8% had alpha alpha alpha/alpha alpha. The alpha thalassaemia gene (-alpha) frequency was 0.27. There were no apparent differences in gene frequency between six major Zambian ethnic groups. Detection of Hb Bart's identified all alpha-thalassaemia homozygotes (-alpha/-alpha), but fewer than 10% of heterozygotes (-alpha/alpha alpha). alpha-thalassaemia was associated with slight but significant anaemia and microcytosis.
authors.affiliation: Tropical Diseases Research Centre, Ndola, Zambia.
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Muklwala
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Banda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Siziya
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Atenyi
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Higgs
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D015160:Hydrops Fetalis / Q000453:epidemiology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D015024:Zambia