EVALUATION OF ERYTHROCYTE INDICES FOR SCREENINU OF B TRAIT THALASSEMIA

Thalassemia is a generally determined defect in hemoglobin synthesis. In B thalassemia minor, patients are not severely anemic and RBC count is slightly increased. Hemoglobin and hematocrit, in fact, are usually near normal limit. Morphology shows microcytic and hypochromic.Anisocytosis is only slight and not as marked as in iron deficiency. This is reflected in about normal RDW, but MCV and MCH are decreased. In hemoglobin electrophoresis Hb A2 is elevated. In this study RBC count, Hb, MCV, MCH, RDW, and Hb electrophoresis were estimated in 230 adults with beta thalassemia trait. MCH<30 with electrophoresis is the best indicator for screening of B thalassemia minor.