Hemoglobinopathies in newborns from Salvador, Bahia, Northeast Brazil.
Hemoglobinopathies are hereditary disorders of the hemoglobin molecule with a high prevalence worldwide. Brazil has a prevalence of 0.1 to 0.3% of newborns with sickle cell anemia and 20.0 to 25.0% of heterozygous alpha2 thalassemia among African Brazilians. In the present study, we investigated the presence of variant hemoglobins and alpha2(3.7 Kb) and alpha2 (4.2 Kb) thalassemia in newborns from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Samples of umbilical cord blood from a total of 590 newborns were analyzed, of which 57 (9.8%) were FAS; 36 (6.5%) FAC; one (0.2%) SF; and five (0.9%) FSC. One hundred fourteen (22.2%) newborns had alpha2(3.7 Kb) thalassemia, of whom 101 (19.7%) were heterozygous and 13 (2.5%) homozygous, showing statistical significance for hematological data between newborns with normal alpha genes and alpha2(3.7 Kb) thalassemia carriers. The alpha2(4.2 Kb) thalassemia was not found. Frequencies found in the present study confirm that hemoglobinopathies are a public health problem in Brazil, emphasizing the need for neonatal screening and genetic counseling programs.
Adorno
Elisângela Vitória
EV
Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, Brazil.
Couto
Fábio David
FD
Moura Neto
José Pereira de
JP
Menezes
Joelma Figueiredo
JF
Rêgo
Marco
M
Reis
Mitermayer Galvão dos
MG
Gonçalves
Marilda Souza
MS
D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006455:Hemoglobins, Abnormal / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D015997:Neonatal Screening; D015995:Prevalence; D017085:alpha-Thalassemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*
D006455:Hemoglobins, Abnormal