Neonatal Screening for Lubumbashi Drepacytosis: Feasibility and Suitable Performance

Abstract

Sickle cell anemia is a blood disorder linked to an abnormality in the structure of hemoglobin. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of the sickle cell gene on the basis of early detection of hemoglobin using the isoelectric focusing technique in maternities in Lubumbashi. Our descriptive cross-sectional study consisted of newborns and infants up to 6 months of age. The capillary venous blood was collected on the finger for the rapid and direct test and on blotting paper for the electrophoresis of the hemoglobin of a few drops and the hemoglobin typing techniques performed by the isoelectric focusing technique. Statistical analyses were done using R version 2.0 software. We recruited 165 children, including (79 boys and 86 girls) who were at most 6 months old and all in good condition (100%). For demographic characteristics, there was no statistically significant difference between males and females. We received almost all the tribes of the DRC in our study; the Luba of Katanga and those of Kasai were on the fringes and represented respectively (32.1% and 29.1%). (20.6%) newborns with RDT and electrophoresis had an abnormality of hemoglobin in the homozygous or heterozygous state with (10.9% SS; 9.7% AS; and 0.6%). Despite the large proportion in the group of children without tare after TRD and electrophoresis, our study did not show statistically significant differences. There is a significant correlation between the electrophoresis of hemoglobin between sex and age (coefficients of correlation r = 0.99; p