Thalassemia

=﻿ Thalassemia = Thalassemia is an inherited disease of faulty synthesis of hemoglobin (the metalloprotein in the red blood cells of vertebrates that contain iron and transport oxygen). Thalassemia is a group of disorders that may consist of abnormality of the blood, to exstreamly fatal anemia (condition when the body lacks red blood cells).

Chromosome location
There are two copys of hemoglobin alpha genes (HBA1 and HBA2) each on a A-Chain- both genes being located on chromosome 16. The hemoglobin beta gene (HBB) is located on the ß-Chain and is found on chromosome 11.

Treatment
Treatment is usually resulted in blood transefusion (for severe Thalassemia) or bone marrow transeplantation (for a minority of patients)

Life Expectancy
Deletions of HBA1 and/or HBA2 are causes of most cases of Thalassemia. How sever the symptoms are depends on how many genes are lost. loss of of four or more genes can kill an unborn child.

Support Organizations
Cooley's Anemia Foundation Inc. []

Thalassemia Support Foundation []

~Shaylene McKinney

Diseases of Blood & Lymph