[Hemoglobinopathies and patients with foreign names].
BACKGROUND
The diagnosis of haemoglobinopathies is of growing importance in Norway because of increasing immigration from countries where haemoglobinopathies are prevalent conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and the various haemoglobinopathies diagnosed in Norway.


METHODS
For a period of three years, all samples with MCV lower than 70 fl were also examined for beta-thalassaemia and haemoglobin variants HbS, HbC, HbE and HbD. A total of 263 samples with low MCV were analysed by high-pressure liquid chromatography.


CONCLUSIONS
In 18% of the samples, a variant of haemoglobinopathy was found, mainly beta-thalassemia minor. 119 of the samples were from persons with an ethnic background from a country in which these diseases are common; all observed haemoglobinopathies were found in this group. 35% of persons with low MCV and a mainly African or Asian ethnic origin had a heterozygous haeomglobinopathy. Low MCV in patients with a foreign ethnic origin is a useful first step in the diagnosis of haemoglobinopathies.
Lilleholt
Kristin
K
Avdeling for medisinsk biokjemi, Rikshospitalet, 0027 Oslo.
Hallberg
Marit H
MH
Hagve
Tor-Arne
TA
D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D006453:Hemoglobinopathies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics; D017085:alpha-Thalassemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology