title: Premarital hemoglobinopathy screening in Kayseri: a city in Middle Anatolia region of Turkey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to report the frequency of β-thalassemia trait and other hemoglobinopathies in Kayseri province, which is located in Middle Anatolia of Turkey, as part of the premarital screening program.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included subjects admitted to Family Planning Center for premarital screening test between January 2009 and March 2010. Blood samples of the couples were obtained during admission to the marriage office. Complete blood counts and hemoglobin (Hb) variant analysis were performed with automatic counter and capillary electrophoresis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 10,261 people were screened. The prevalence of patients with the β-thalassemia trait was 1.71% (175/10261). Moreover, HbD Punjab and HbO Arab were the most common Hb variants after β-thalassemia trait with the frequencies of 0.36% and 0.09%, respectively. Only 2 HbS were detected in 15 months of screening time. In 2 couples both partners were found to be carriers of β-thalassemia trait, and both partners of 1 couple to be carrier of HbD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Kayseri is not a high-risk region according to Mediterranean parts of Turkey, but the city takes migrations apart from neighbor cities, migrations from East and South provinces because of its geographic and industrial situation. For that reason detecting carrier couples with premarital screening program is an effective way of controlling thalassemia major.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, State of Educational and Research Hospital, Erciyes University, School of Medicine, Kayseri, Turkey. ckarakukcu@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Cigdem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karakukcu
authors.forename: Derya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kocer
authors.forename: Yasemin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Altuner Torun
authors.forename: Musa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karakukcu
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yokus
authors.forename: Mehmet Akif
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.forename: Turkan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Patiroglu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006453:Hemoglobinopathies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D011291:Premarital Examinations; D015995:Prevalence; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000453:epidemiology*