Thalassemia can cause mild or severe anemia. if it is less than 13 it is highly predictive of thalassemia; greater than 13 indicates an iron deficiency or anemia of inflammation Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that is passed down through the parent’s genes. People with beta-thalassemia major often have larger percentages of Hgb F. That is because beta-thalassemia affects the balance of alpha and beta hemoglobin chain formation greatly. The elevated Hgb A2 and Hgb F suggest beta-thalassemia trait. The two types are alpha thalassemia and beta thalassemia. In this form of beta thalassemia, two defective genes are passed to the child and the child has no normal beta.chain gene. Thalassemia is a common cause of anemia, especially microcytic anemia. The terms alpha and beta refer to the part of the hemoglobin the person is lacking. 2. Also, remember that a person with beta-thalassemia minor often has a high number of Hgb A2. Although the features are similar to those of alpha thalassemia, beta thalassemia is more severe than its counterpart. The alpha globin one-gene deletion is consistent with alpha thalassemia silent carrier. There is the deficiency of beta globin production in the body which leads to significant illness. It causes an increase in minor hemoglobin components. Thalassemia Major or Cooley’s Anemia. Adult hemoglobin (hemoglobin A) is made of alpha and beta globins. Thalassemia Intermedia Beta Thalassemia Trait/Minor Beta thalassemia minor is a common condition which is symptomless most of the time. The child is probably an alpha + beta thalassemia carrier. with alpha thalassemia trait. Beta Thalassemia Trait/Minor. Alpha thalassemia is common in people of African, Southern Chinese, Southeast Asian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean descent. Persons with beta thalassemia major are diagnosed during infancy. Learn how to distinguish alpha thalassemia and beta thalassemia. He is termed as homozygous for beta thalassemia. Marion A. Koerper, MD UCSF School of Medicine San Francisco, CA. The diagnosis of beta thalassemia minor is made if the HbA 2 level is more than 3.5%. Alpha thalassemia, which is characterized by genetic defects in the alpha-globin gene, is another known cause of mild microcytic anemia and has features similar to those of beta thalassemia. There are two main types of thalassemia: alpha and beta. Thalassemia Intermedia Beta thalassemia minor is a common condition which is symptomless most of the time. 3. Alpha thalassemia affects the amount of hemoglobin in the red blood cells. So this child has alpha thalassemia silent carrier/beta thalassemia minor. The diagnosis of beta thalassemia minor is made if the HbA 2 level is more than 3.5%. alpha thal trait is almost silent unless associated with an alpha ° thal.. Hb H) beta trait is a beta ° ones.. but since partner does not carry beta thal , there is no risk of severe beta genotype. Evaluation: Forms of disease diagnosed through gel-electrophoresis of globin chains; Unexplained finding is that although there is a decrease in the Hgb concentration and MCV, there is a normal or slightly increased RBC count ; Ratio used: Mentzer Ratio = MCV / RBC. Although the features are similar to those of alpha thalassemia, beta thalassemia is more severe than its counterpart. Pallor, irritability, growth retardation, abdominal swelling, and jaundice appear during the sec- The pathogenesis and treatment of alpha and beta thalassemia, including the role of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), monitoring of iron stores, and iron chelation, are discussed in detail separately. Genetics – (see "Introduction to hemoglobin mutations" and "Molecular genetics of the thalassemia syndromes") There are also terms for how serious the thalassemia is. The deficiency of beta thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that is passed down through the ’... 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