Journal List > Korean J Obstet Gynecol > v.54(7) > 1088303

Shim, Cho, Jeon, Lee, Kim, Bae, and Kim: A case of vaginal delivery in β-thalassemia minor pregnant woman

Abstract

The thalassemias are a group of autosomal recessive genetic disorders of hemoglobin synthesis. The thalassemias are classified into two main varieties, α- and β-, depending on which of the adult globin chain is produced in reduced amounts. The β-thalassemia is the homozygous and heterozygous state, and common in the Mediterranean region. Homozygous β-thalassemia is usually associated with severe anemia. β-Thalassemia minor, the heterozygous state, is characterized by hypochromia, microcytosis and an elevated of HgA2. No treatment is required for thalassemia minor, but it is important to exclude iron deficiency anemia and postpartum genetic counseling. Recently, β-thalassemia minor keeps rising steadily in Korea due to the increase in international marriges. Recently we have experienced a vaginal delivery in a β-thalassemia minor Vietnam woman associated with mild anemia. We describe this case with a brief review of the literature.

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1
(A) The peripheral blood smear of the patient showing microcytic, hypochromasia with hypochromic central pallor (arrowhead), severe anisopoikilocytosis, coarse basophilic stipplings (arrow) (Wright stain, ×360). (B) The magnification view of the peripheral blood smear showed target cells (arrow) (Wright stain, ×1,000).
kjog-54-381-g001

References

1. Gu MS, Lee HS, Ahn YM, Cho HI, Kim JG, Kim SI. A Case of β-Thalassemia Minor in a Korean Family. Korean J Clin Pathol. 1988. 8:153–161.
2. Park HS, Park SS, Lee YJ, Yun GY, Joo SI, Cho HI. β-Thalassemia Mutations in the Korean Population. Korean J Clin Pathol. 1996. 16:1–11.
3. Kim JH, Jang JS, Lee YY, Kim IS, Jeong TJ, Choi IY, et al. A case of beta-thalassemia minor. Korean J Hematol. 1991. 26:171–175.
4. Lee NY, Cho HI, Kim SI, Kim BK, Oh BY, Hattori Y. A family case of beta-thalassemia minor and hemoglobin Queens: alpha 34 (B15) Leu-Arg. J Korean Med Sci. 1992. 7:385–388.
5. Lee JH, Shin HC, Yang SH, Park SY, Kim BG, Kim NK, et al. Two Korean familial cases of β-thalassemia minor. Korean J Med. 1994. 46:704–711.
6. Viprakasit V, Lee-Lee C, Chong QT, Lin KH, Khuhapinant A. Iron chelation therapy in the management of thalassemia: the Asian perspectives. Int J Hematol. 2009. 90:435–445.
7. Kyriacou K, Michaelides Y, Senkus R, Simamonian K, Pavlides N, Antoniades L, et al. Ultrastructural pathology of the heart in patients with beta-thalassaemia major. Ultrastruct Pathol. 2000. 24:75–81.
8. Tadmouri GO, Yüksel L, Başak AN. HbS/beta(del)-thalassemia associated with high levels of hemoglobins A2 and F in a Turkish family. Am J Hematol. 1998. 59:83–86.
9. Broquere C, Brudey K, Harteveld CL, Saint-Martin C, Elion J, Giordano PC, et al. Phenotypic expression and origin of the rare beta-thalassemia splice site mutation HBB:c.315 + 1G>T. Hemoglobin. 2010. 34:322–326.
10. Han JY, Kim TG, Kim KH, Kim IH, Lee EY, Cho GJ, et al. A Korean family with thalassemia intermedia due to co-inheritance of triplicated alpha-globin genes (alphaalpha/alphaalphaalphaanti 3.7) and beta-thalassemia trait (IVSII-1 G->A). Korean J Hematol. 1999. 34:338–343.
11. Huang H, Xu L, Lin N, Xu J, He D, Li Y, et al. A new beta-thalassemia deletion mutation [codon 36 (-C)] observed in a Chinese woman. Hemoglobin. 2010. 34:599–603.
12. Yang SE, Park CJ, Nah J, Min WK, Chi HS. Hematologic characteristics and hemoglobin fraction analysis by high performance liquid chromatogaphy in patients with hypochromic microcytosis: trials for detection of beta-thalassemia. Korean J Lab Med. 2005. 25:145–151.
13. Caocci G, La Nasa G, d'Aloja E, Vacca A, Piras E, Pintor M, et al. Ethical issues of unrelated hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in adult thalassemia patients. BMC Med Ethics. 2011. 12:4.
14. Eckardt S, Leu NA, Yanchik A, Hatada S, Kyba M, McLaughlin KJ. Gene therapy by allele selection in a mouse model of beta-thalassemia. J Clin Invest. 2011. 121:623–627.
15. Kumar P, Woon-Khiong C. Optimization of lentiviral vectors generation for biomedical and clinical research purposes: contemporary trends in technology development and applications. Curr Gene Ther. 2011. 11:144–153.
TOOLS
Similar articles