Prenatal control of nondeletional α-thalassemia: first experience in mainland China.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To demonstrate the performance of nondeletional α-thalassemia prevention at a mainland Chinese hospital.

METHODS:

A prenatal control program for nondeletional hemoglobin H (Hb H) disease was conducted from January 2010 to June 2012. All couples were screened for α-thalassemia trait, and for couples in whom one partner was tested positive for α(0) -thalassemia, the other was subjected to screening for Hb Constant Spring and Hb Quong Sze mutations. Prenatal diagnoses were offered in pregnancies of couples at-risk for nondeletional Hb H disease.

RESULTS:

Of the 30,152 couples screened, 18 (0.06%) were diagnosed as at risk for nondeletional Hb H disease. There were other 13 at-risk couples who were referred to prenatal diagnosis because they had previously an affected child. Of the 31 cases with prenatal invasive tests, 11 (35.5%) had diagnosis by chorionic villous sampling, and 20 (64.5%) had amniocentesis. Totally, 12 fetuses were diagnosed with nondeletional Hb H disease, and all of the affected pregnancies were terminated.

CONCLUSION:

Implementation of a prevention and control program accompanying with a referral system for prenatal diagnosis is technically feasible in southern China, and a number of nondeletional Hb H disease have been prevented during the past 3 years of operation.

• Authors: Jian Li, Ru Li, Jian-Ying Zhou, Xing-Mei Xie, Can Liao, Dong-Zhi Li
• Journal: Prenatal diagnosis (Prenat Diagn) Vol. 33 Issue 9 Pg. 869-72 (Sep 2013) ISSN: 1097-0223 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 23637094 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Chemical References

• Hemoglobins, Abnormal
• hemoglobin Quong Sze
• Hemoglobin Constant Spring

Topics

• Adult
• China (epidemiology)
• Family Characteristics
• Female
• Gene Deletion
• Hemoglobins, Abnormal (genetics)
• Humans
• Male
• Mass Screening
• Pilot Projects
• Pregnancy
• Pregnancy, High-Risk (blood, genetics)
• Prenatal Diagnosis (statistics & numerical data)
• Young Adult
• alpha-Thalassemia (diagnosis, epidemiology, genetics, prevention & control)