Sriroongrueng, WPornpatkul, MPanich, VFucharoen, S2009-05-272009-05-271997-03-01Sriroongrueng W, Pornpatkul M, Panich V, Fucharoen S. Alpha-thalassemia incidence in southern Thailand by restriction endonuclease analysis of globin DNA from placental blood at Songklanagarind Hospital. The Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health. 1997 ; 28 Suppl 3(): 93-6http://imsear.searo.who.int/handle/123456789/32986The Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health.The incidence of alpha-thalassemia has been studied previously based on the levels of Hb Barts' in cord blood. This method is an inadequate indicator of alpha-thalassemia. Thus in this study we use DNA analysis to get more accurate data. Hb Barts' was detected in placental blood samples from 15.5% of 375 infants born at Songklanagarind Hospital. The white blood cell DNA of 300 samples was studied for alpha-globin gene deletions by hybridization of DNA fragments digested by the restriction endonuclease Eco RI with specific 32P-labled zeta-globin gene probe. The incidence of alpha-thal 2 and alpha-thal 1 traits were 12.0% and 4.3%, with the gene frequencies 0.0650 and 0.0217 for -alpha/and --/, respectively. The incidence of HB CS trait was 5.8%, with the gene frequency of 0.0292 for alpha cs alpha/. We also found that the incidence of the triplicated zeta and triplicated alpha were 14.7 and 1.0%, with the gene frequencies of 0.0733 and 0.0050 for zeta zeta zeta/and alpha alpha alpha/, respectively. The DNA lesion of alpha-thalassemia in the south is similar to the study of Tanphaichitr et al (1988) in central Thailand. Knowledge of alpha-globin gene deletion would be useful for prenatal diagnosis of Bart's hydrops to prevent toxemia of pregnancy in the south of Thailand.engDNA --geneticsDNA Restriction Enzymes --diagnostic useFemaleFetal Blood --metabolismGenotypeGlobins --geneticsHemoglobins, Abnormal --geneticsHumansIncidenceInfant, NewbornPregnancyThailand --epidemiologyalpha-Thalassemia --diagnosisJournal Article