
Hemoglobinopathies in Dharwad, North Karnataka: A Hospital-Based Study
593-599
Correspondence
Dr. Shivashankara A.R., Department of Biochemistry, Father Muller Medical College, Mangalore-575002. Karnataka. Phone :0824-2238255; 9880146133.
E-mail : arshiva@yahoo.com
The inherited disorders of hemoglobin are responsible for an extremely complex series of clinical phenotypes. Sickle cell anaemia and thalassemia can cause chronic ill-health and life-threatening situations. Present study was carried out at Dharwad of North Karnataka. The practice of consanguineous marriages is an accepted socio-cultural phenomenon in this region. This study was hospital-based and the paediatric cases of hemoglobinopathies were identified based on clinical data, family history, red blood cell indices and hemoglobin electrophoresis. Out of the fifty cases , twenty chidren were carriers of beta- thalassemia trait and fifteen children were suffering from beta-thalassemia major. Two cases of sickle cell trait and lone case of a compound heterozygote for HbS/beta-thalassemia were also identified. Families of four cases of hemoglobinopathies were studied in detail to identify the carriers of abnormal hemoglobins. Ten out of fifty children of the study were products of consanguineous mating. The population of Dharwad appears to be a repository of thalassemia. An extensive screening of the population is needed to assess the prevalence of hemoglobinopathies, which will help in identification of carriers of hemoglobinopathies and further in taking adequate therapeutic and preventive measures.