Screening of β-Globin Gene Mutations in Adolescent Schoolgirls in Rural Malang and Sukabumi City, Java Province, Indonesia

摘要

Anemia is one of the major health problems in Indonesia. In general, the condition occurs because of iron deficiency. Another major factor that causes anemia in Indonesia is thalassemia. Usually, the thalassemia patient comes with severe anemia for treatment. Since thalassemia is a genetic disorder, it is necessary to know how to prevent and reduce the incidence. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of thalassemia trait, β-globin gene mutants among adolescent schoolgirls in rural Malang area and Sukabumi City. The early detection of thalassemia will encourage early counseling and treatment. The result of this study found that among 180 adolescent schoolgirls from Malang and Sukabumi, 22 were carrying thalassemic β-globin genes with asymptomatic to mild anemic conditions. Only one of the students had symptoms of intermediate thalassemia. The polymorphism encountered was CD26 in Malang and IVSlnt5 in Sukabumi City.