Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis of Thalassemias
Main Article Content
Abstract
Beta-Thalassemia major, beta-thalassemia-Hb E disease and Hb Bart’s disease are
severe hereditary anemia which are prevalent in Thailand and neighborhood countries.
Thalassemia syndromes and hemoglobinopathy cost signifiant health and economic burden
and sometimes maternal morbidity and mortality. The present strategy to reduce new cases is
population screening, prenatal genetic diagnosis (PND) and the option for termination of affected
pregnancy (TOP) following thoroughly genetic counselling. The advances of reproductive
technology and molecular genetics facilitate genetic testing of the embryos prior to transfer into
the womb, therefore, embryo selection is possible. Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD)
consists of sampling techniques from the embryos and molecular genetic analysis techniques.
Polar body biopsy, cleavage stage embryo biopsy or blastocyst biopsy can be used for sampling
DNA material from the embryos. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is employed for the analysis
of thalassemia mutations. PGD is an alternative to the traditional PND, providing the couples
at risk of having severe thalassemia babies an opportunity to get pregnant with a healthy one
without the need for TOP. Since 2004, a total of 64 PGD cycles have been performed at the
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, including
37 alpha-thalassemia, 5 beta-thalassemia and 22 beta-thalassemia-Hb E disease, giving rise
to 24 healthy pregnancies (27 babies).
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