The Genetics and Prevalance of ¿ Thalessemia

Thalassemia is a disorder of haemoglobin synthesis which is characterized by the absence or reduced synthesis of globin chains. Most frequently, this disorder is found in the malarial, tropical and sub-tropical regions of Mediterranean countries, the Middle East, Transcaucasus, Central Asia, the Indian Subcontinent (South Asia) and Southeast Asia. The two main types of thalassemia are ¿ and ¿-thalassemia. ¿-thalassemia a common genetic disorder caused by mutations in one or more of the ¿-globin gene loci that result in reduced ¿-globin production. Recently, more than 200 different mutations have been detected affecting the diverse levels of ¿ -globin gene expression and cause ¿-thalassaemia. This book explores the different mutations causing ¿ thalassemia and the geographical distribution and racial origin.