Hemoglobinopathies in a hospital population in Vancouver.

A number of varieties of thalassemia were found to be common in the Vancouver area and in other parts of British Columbia. Of 3117 patients whose blood samples were studied by hemoglobin electrophoresis at the Vancouver General Hospital between Jan 1, 1965 and June 30,1977, 813 had the beta-thalassemia trait, 18 had homozygous beta-thalassemia, 97 had alpha-thalassemia trait, 24 had hemoglobin H disease and 14 had miscellaneous variants. Eight patients had interactions of beta-thalassemia with hemoglobin S,C, D, O arab or Vancouver, and one patient had alpha thalassemia associated with hemoglobin Constant Spring. Twelve other variants were noted. They included hemoglobins B2, E, Q, GHsi Tsou, J Bangkok, British Columbia, KOLN, Lepore, Rampa, Tacoma, St. Claude and an unidentified alpha-chain variant.