Utility of umbilical cord blood red blood cell indices Mean corpuscular volume in screening for alpha Thalassemia

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Thalassemia’s represent a group of inherited hematologic disorders where abnormal hemoglobin production occurs due to autosomal recessive inheritance. The condition is characterized by an imbalance between alpha and non-alpha globin chains, resulting in inefficient erythropoiesis and peripheral hemolysis, ultimately leading to chronic hemolytic anemia. The alpha thalassemia gene [HbA] is located on chromosome 16, with two copies present on each allele. It is thought that carriers of hemoglobinopathies are somewhat protected in a malarial environment, as alpha thalassemia is common in tropical and subtropical regions of the world where malaria is still an epidemic. The goal of newborn hemoglobinopathy screening is to identify thalassemia syndromes and Hb variations that have a substantial negative influence on health. Studies on decreased MCV in cord blood are scarce. Few research from other nations have examined the effectiveness of MCV in alpha thalassemia screening. Therefore, we intended to conduct a screening study for alpha thalassemia identification in newborns based on the MCV value of cord blood and by subjecting the blood samples showing microcytosis to genetic studies for confirmation of alpha thalassemia thus predicting the utility of MCV in screening of alpha thalassemia.