Thalassaemia in the Egyptian population

The screening for thalassaemia syndromes in Egypt was carried out on a random sample of 505 individuals of Egyptian stock. We found 10 true β thalassaemia heterozygotes, one β and δ thalassaemia heterozygote in trans position, one haemoglobin variant, possibly D, with a non-interacting thalassaemia, one δβ thalassaemia heterozygote, and one individual with heterocellular hereditary persistence of fetal haemoglobin. No sickle cell trait or haemoglobin H was discovered. While the minimum estimate of the prevalence of the β thalassaemia trait in Egypt is about 2.6 %, the maximum is about 4 %. The prevalence of the α thalassaemia trait is probably about 2.6 %. Thalassaemia is present in both Moslems and Christians of Egypt.