Discriminating Indices between Common Microcytic Anemias and Normal Population

Abstract

Thalassemia minor (MT), either β or α, is the most frequent single gene mutation in human beings affecting 6% of population worldwide. It is more frequent in the Mediterranean region, Africa and South-East Asia. On the other hand Iron deficiency anemia (IDA), either nutritional or secondary to gastrointestinal or menstrual bleeding, is the most frequent cause of acquired anemia. Differentiation between these two types of anemia is important because both of them present themselves as microcytic anemia.2-6 However, in the thalassemia belt, some patients may have mixed IDA and TM.Therefore discrimination indexes should discriminate three categories from the normal population and each other.