Premarital hemoglobinopathy screening in Kocaeli, Turkey: a crowded industrial center on the north coast of Marmara Sea Marmara denizinin kuzey kıyısında kalabalık bir endüstri merkezi olan Kocaeli’de evlilik öncesi hemoglobinopati taraması

Objective: Premarital hemoglobinopathy screening is one of the important procedures of hemoglobinopathy control programs. This is the first report about the prevalence of hemoglobinopathies in Kocaeli. Materials and Methods: The study covered screening from July 2005 to the end of December 2008. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Health and regional health authorities, blood samples of the couples were obtained during admission to the marriage office. Complete blood counts and hemoglobin variant analysis were performed with automatic counter and high pressure liquid chromatography technique. Genetic counseling was given to carriers of thalassemia and abnormal hemoglobins. Results: A total of 88,888 people were screened. The frequencies of β-thalassemia trait and sickle cell anemia trait were 0.89% and 0.05%, respectively. The frequency of couples with high-risk of having a sibling with homozygous hemoglobinopathy was 0.01%. Conclusion: The prevalence of β-thalassemia trait and sickle cell anemia trait was quite low and reflects the frequency in eastern and northern Anatolia and migration to Kocaeli from these geographic regions. Although frequency is low, the chronic transfusion requirement, high cost of chelating, organ damage, painful crisis and other crisis, and availability of stem cell transplantation only for a limited number of patients with compatible sibling donors justify premarital screening studies even in regions with lower prevalence such as Kocaeli. (Turk J Hematol 2009; 26: 62-6)