A prospective study for the outcomes of thalassemia in Kirkuk 2016

Abstract EN

Background: Thalassemia is one of the most globally common chronic hematological disorder.

This inherited disorder is characterized by an abnormal production of hemoglobin protein resulting in a life-threatening disease of two main types α and β.In Kirkuk city it was found that, β-thalassemia was the most common disorder and various factors were found to be contributing to the counts of β-thalassemia including ethnic origins and migration that added more burden on the genetic pool of the region and on the inheritance of traits in that area.

Objective: Evaluating the prevalence of thalassemia in Kirkuk city according to a number of parameters that included age, gender and ethnic background of patients along with the assessment of the effect of consanguinity marriage on the incidence of the disease.

Patients &Methods: Total of (156) clinically diagnosed β-thalassemia patients attending “Thalassemia Unit “ in Azadi Teaching Hospital in Kirkuk City were questionaired and data were divided into four cohorts for evaluation; followed by statistical analysis.

Results: No significant difference was detected in β-thalassemia distribution among males and females in Kirkuk city 2016; β-thalassemia was more prevalent in children born following the years of insecurity in the country generally and Kirkuk city especially.

In addition, about (77.56%) of β-thalassemia patients were the outcomes of consanguinity marriage from the first degree cousin whom affected with β- thalassemia minor without their knowledge.

Additionally, the distribution of β –thalassemia patients between different ethnic groups living in Kirkuk and the surrounding areas indicated a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the incidence of β – thalassemia in Turkman patients who had recorded the lowest incidence rate of (17.31%) compared to the Kurd patients where they recorded the incidence rate of (37.18%) and Arabs where they recorded the highest incidence rate of (45.52%) among total of (156) β –thalassemia patients where most of them came from rural areas or were internally displaced people.

Conclusions: β- thalassemia disorder is one of the prevalent inherited diseases in Kirkuk city with increasing frequency among children in the ages of (1-3) years old.

Besides, the distribution of β- thalassemia disorder did not vary among males and females in Kirkuk city in the year 2016 and it was concluded that, the frequency of β- thalassemia showed an increase in the years following wars and invasions in Kirkuk city.

Moreover, consanguinity marriage increases the frequency of β- thalassemia incidence among both male and female patients.

Additionally, individuals with minor β- thalassemia increase the ratio of β- thalassemia incidence among their children and the distribution of β- thalassemia differ according to different ethnic groups