Incidence of haemoglobinopathies in various populations - the impact of immigration.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to update the incidence data of beta thalassaemia mutations in various populations and compare it to the spectrum of mutations in the United Kingdom (UK) population in order to determine the impact of immigration.

Design And Methods: Published data for the beta-thalassaemia mutation spectrum and allele frequencies for 60 other countries was updated and collated into regional tables. The beta-thalassaemia mutations in the UK population have been characterised in 1712 unrelated carriers referred for antenatal screening.