Multiplex Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction and High-Resolution Melting Analysis for Identification of a Couple At-Risk of Having a Newborn with Severe Thalassemia

Screening and treatment of thalassemia

Thalassemia refers to a collection of inherited conditions that lead to the production of abnormal hemoglobin, resulting from defects in the synthesis of globin chains. Currently, there is no definitive cure for thalassemia; therefore, early screening for thalassemia is the focus of clinical research. In recent years, thalassemia screening technology has been continuously developed, leading to updates in screening methods and significant improvements in accuracy. Genetic testing and hemoglobin electrophoresis are more popular in high-resource areas, effectively reducing the birth rate of children with severe thalassemia. This review summarizes current research on thalassemia screening from the perspectives of premarital, prenatal, and neonatal screening. In addition, the latest research on treatment of thalassemia has been concluded from the induction of fetal hemoglobin to gene therapy.

The distribution and spectrum of thalassemia variants in GUIYANG region, southern China

Thalassemia is one of southern China's most common inherited disorders. This retrospective study analyzed the results of thalassemia gene testing conducted on 20,478 individuals from January 1, 2019, to April 31, 2024 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The cohort consisted of 19,733 females and 745 males, with 1401 individuals testing positive for thalassemia. Among the positive cases, 942 had α thalassemia, 431 had β thalassemia, and 25 had variants in both α and β thalassemia genes. Interestingly, a subgroup of individuals with thalassemia variants not previously documented in medical literature was identified. The study highlighted the prevalence of thalassemia among different ethnic groups, with individuals of Han ethnicity being the most affected. Geographical analysis revealed a concentration of cases in Guizhou Province, particularly in Guiyang city, Bijie, and Qiannan Prefecture. These findings provide valuable insights into the epidemiology of thalassemia in the region and the distribution of affected individuals.

Advances in screening of thalassaemia

Thalassaemia is a common hereditary haemolytic anaemia. Mild cases of this disease may be asymptomatic, while patients with severe thalassaemias require high-dose blood transfusions and regular iron removal to maintain life or haematopoietic stem cell transplantation to be cured, imposing an enormous familial and social burden. Therefore, early, timely, and accurate screening of patients is of great importance. In recent years, with the continuous development of thalassaemia screening technologies, the accuracy of thalassaemia screening has also improved significantly. This article reviews the current research on thalassaemia screening.