Sickle cell and thalassaemic genes in Libya

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Hematology
• Population Studies

Background:

• Hemoglobinopathies and thalassemias are significant public health concerns globally.
• The Libyan population is ethnically diverse, with Arab, Mediterranean, and Negroid influences, potentially impacting genetic disorder prevalence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of abnormal hemoglobins and thalassemia in the indigenous Libyan population.
• To provide baseline data on the prevalence of specific hemoglobin variants and thalassemia types.

Main Methods:

• Electrophoretic analysis of haemolysates from 1350 individuals.
• Screening for sickle cell disease, sickle cell trait, sickle cell thalassemia, and various forms of beta-thalassemia and delta-beta thalassemia.

Main Results:

• Sickle cell disease: 0.37% (5 subjects).
• Sickle cell trait: 4.51% (61 subjects).
• Sickle cell thalassemia: 0.21% (3 subjects).
• Homozygous beta-thalassemia: 1.20% (16 subjects).
• Heterozygous delta-beta thalassemia: 1.85% (25 subjects).
• Heterozygous beta-thalassemia: 7.77% (105 subjects).

Conclusions:

• The sickle cell gene is infrequent in the Libyan population.
• Thalassemia gene prevalence appears high, particularly heterozygous beta-thalassemia.
• Genetic screening is crucial for understanding and managing hemoglobinopathies in diverse populations.