Evaluating the Co-Inheritance of Alpha-Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anaemia and its Impact on Haematological Indices (360G-Wellcome-211923_Z_18_Z)

Sickle Cell Anaemia (SCA), the most severe and most common form of sickle cell disease, is a major public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. Homozygosity for sickle haemoglobin (HbSS) causes SCA but the clinical phenotype is variable in severity. Alpha-thalassemia, caused by deletions in the alpha-globin genes, co-exists at very high frequencies in the same sub-Saharan African regions as the sickle cell trait (HbAS). Nigeria has the highest burden of SCA globally but there is limited information on the co-inheritance of SCA and alpha-thalassemia in Nigerians and reports from other sub-Saharan African countries have given differing results. Ethnic diversity in Nigeria necessitates ascertainment of information from different geographic regions. While personalised medicine is not realistic in sub-Saharan Africa at present, it is important to obtain information on variation, relevant for healthcare provision at the community level. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the alpha-globin gene deletions (3.7kb and 4.2kb) and haematological indices in SCA patients and controls from Abuja.