Hemoglobin A2 Lowered by Iron Deficiency and α -Thalassemia: Should Screening Recommendation for β -Thalassemia Change?

Screening for β -thalassemia trait (BTT) relies on measuring hemoglobin (Hb) A2. Since multiple factors can affect HbA2 levels, the screening can become unreliable. In 1356 healthy Arabs enrolled into a federally funded premarital BTT screening program, the effects of iron deficiency (ID), α (+)-thalassemia trait, gender, smoking, and tribalism on HbA2 were studied.

Erythrocyte reference values in Emirati people with and without α+ thalassemia.

Background: Interpreting the erythroid lineage in populations with high frequency of α+ thalassemia allele is challenging due to the high prevalence of α+ thalassemia homozygotes. For such populations, separate reference values for normal and α+ thalassemia homozygotes are needed.

Methods: We studied the erythroid lineage in 1,079 citizens of United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Prevalence, phenotype and inheritance of benign neutropenia in Arabs.

Background: Benign neutropenia, i.e., neutropenia not associated with an increased risk of infection, may result in serious medical consequences when a 'standard' definition of neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count (ANC) < 1.