Clinical Manifestations of Alpha Thalassemia

Alpha Thalassemia Minor

  • Deletion of two out of four alpha chain loci results in alpha thalassemia minor.
  • The deletions may be homozygous (two on the same chromosome) or heterozygous (one from each of two chromosomes).
  • Alpha thalassemia minor does not produce a clinical disease but may be discovered upon routine testing.
  • Both the homozygous and heterozygous form are common in Southeast Asians. The homozygous form is also seen in American Blacks.

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