Anemia and hemoglobinopathies in tribal population of Eastern and North-eastern India.

It is estimated that out of approximately 31.4 million people living in North-eastern India, about 8.1 million are tribal people of the hills and plains.

Alpha-thalassemia among tribal populations of Eastern India.

Five hundred and thirteen unrelated subjects belonging to various tribes of West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in Eastern India, were screened for the presence of alpha-thalassemia (thal) gene deletion(s) as a possible cause of unexplained anemia (Hb < 11 g/dL and/or MCH <28 pg, MCV < 78 fL). As reported earlier, beta-globin gene mutant alleles were found with a frequency of up to 20% in some tribes. In the present study, alpha-globin gene deletion alleles were found in 18% of subjects from West Bengal, 3.