MOLECULAR GENETIC STUDY ON BETA-THALASSEMIA MAJOR IN SOME IRAQI PATIENTS

Genomic DNA was isolated from the blood of 75 patients who were diagnosed clinically and hematologically as β-thalassemia major and from 20 blood samples of apparently healthy individuals as control, all these samples was collected from Baghdad thalassemic center at Ibn-Al-Baladi pediatrics hospital. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for amplification of 4 regions in β-globin gene. The data show that IVS-1 nt 110 mutations are the most common in the population. Codon 39 mutation was also found with relatively high incidence. One of the subjects had a compound mutation which included IVS-1 nt 110 and CD8 mutations. Eighteen of the β-thalassemia major patients showed none of the four common mutations.