The Spectrum of α-Thalassemia Mutations in the Kurdish Population of Northeastern Iraq

Abstract

In an attempt to determine the spectrum of α-thalassemia (α-thal) mutations in the Kurdish population of Northeastern (NE) Iraq, a total of 101 unrelated adults with unexplained hypochromia and/or microcytosis were enrolled. α-Thalasssemia mutations were characterized by gap polymerase chain reaction (gap-PCR), multiplex PCR (m-PCR) and reverse hybridization and sequencing for both α genes. A total of nine α-thal mutations were characterized including four deletional ones: –α3.7 (rightward), – –MED-I, –(α)20.5, –α4.2 (leftward) and five nondeletional ones: αpolyA1α, ααAdana, α−5 ntα, αCSα and αpolyA2α. These determinants were arranged in 12 different genotypes, the most frequent of which were: –α3.7/αα, – –MED-I/αα, –α3.7/–α3.7, αpolyA1α/αα, ααAdana/αα and –(α)20.5/αα. This pattern is similar to that reported in Turkey, western (W) Iran, Cyprus and Greece, and to some extent, different from the pattern observed in the Arabian Peninsula.