Genotoxicity assessment in patients with thalassemia minor

Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that affects both genders and results in reduced synthesis of hemoglobin, and thus causing anemia. Previous studies have shown that the severe form of this disease, thalassemia major, is associated with genotoxicity. This includes increases in the level of sister chromatid exchange (SCEs), chromosomal aberrations (CAs) and micronuclei. In this study, we assessed genotoxicity in the lymphocytes of thalassemia minor subjects using sister chromatid exchange (SCE) and chromosomal aberration (CA) assays. In addition, we investigated the level of oxidative DNA damage by measuring 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG) biomarker in urine samples. Eighteen thalassemia minor subjects and eighteen matched normal healthy controls were volunteered in the study. In addition, seven thalassemia major patients were recruited as positive controls. The results showed increases in the frequency of SCEs (P<0.05) in thalassemia minor compared to healthy controls. However, no difference in CAs frequency was detected between thalassemia minor and controls (P>0.05). Both SECs and CAs in thalassemia major patients were significantly higher compared to other groups (P<0.05). Regarding urine 8OHdG levels, the result showed a slight increase in thalassemia minor compared to healthy controls but the difference was not significant (P>0.05). In conclusion, our results showed that thalassemia minor is associated with genotoxicity to blood lymphocytes as indicated by SCEs assay.