PREVALENCE OF SICKLE CELL TRAIT AMONG HEALTHY APPEARING MEDICAL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN HODIEDAH PROVINCE, YEMEN
Salem Bashanfer*, Abdullah Al-alimi, and Mohammed Morish
ABSTRACT
Backgound: Sickle cell disease is one the most common types of hemoglobinopathies in the world, and is known to be prevalent inherited disorders in most Arab countries. It is a genetic, hereditary and chronic disease that affects the health of homozygotes sickle cell (SS) that manifest symptoms, while the asymptomatic heterozygotes (AS) are being referred to as sickle cell trait carriers. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of sickle cell traits, gender differences, and red cells parameters among University students in Hodiedah Province, Yemen. Methodology: This cross sectional study was carried out in the department of medicine and health sciences of Univeristy of Hodiedah, Yemen. Five hundred blood samples were drawn from medical students and subjected to sickling and complete blood counts tests. Results: Of a total number of 500 students were screened for sickle cell trait (HbAS), there were 326 males (65.2%) and 174 females (34.8 %). The sickling test was positive in 40 samples and negative in 460 samples, and the overall prevalence of sickle cell trait among all students was 8.0% (4.8% males and 3.2 % females). CBC results of trait patient showed lower parameters compared to normal students. Conclusion: The sickle cell trait is highly frequent in Hodiedah city, and the spreading degree could be due to the high degree of consanguineous marriage in this city.
Keywords: Sickle cell disease, sickle cell trait, Hodiedah, Yemen.
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