Genotype-phenotype characteristics of β thalassemia children in the Gaza Strip, Palestine

Genotype-phenotype characteristics of β thalassemia children in the Gaza Strip, Palestine

Thalassemias are considered one of the most common known hereditary blood disorders in mankind, quantitatively affecting the synthesis of human hemoglobin. At least 60,000 severely affected individuals are born every year. Thalassemias have been encountered in practically every racial group and geographic location in the world; however, they are most common among individuals originating from tropical and subtropical regions. Thalassemias are classified based on the particular globin chain(s) that are produced in a reduced amount, so the main types of this inherited disorder which have been defined are α, β, δβ, δ, γδ β, and εγδβ thalassemias.