Haemoglobin types in Greek populations

Abstract

SUMMARY The incidence of abnormal haemoglobin genes has been investigated in various populations living in the Greek mainland, Crete and Rhodes. A previous report of high sickling frequencies in the Chalkidhiki peninsula was confirmed, and the incidence of thalassaemia was found to be low in this region. Relatively low sickling frequencies were recorded in Atalanti in Central Greece and Karditsa in Thessaly, and no sickling was present in samples from Crete and Rhodes. High β‐thalassaemia frequencies (above 20%) were found in villages in the island of Rhodes, and moderate frequencies (4–7‐9‐8%) in Crete and the Greek mainland towns sampled. The low incidence of haemoglobin H inclusion bodies observed confirms previous findings that detectable α‐thalassaemia is much less common than β‐thalassaemia in Greece. In regions where the sickle‐cell gene frequency is high the frequency of thalassaemia is low, and vice versa. High frequencies of abnormal haemoglobins are found only in regions that were formerly intensely malarious. We are indebted to many Greek physicians for friendly co‐operation and helpful discussion, in particular Dr Limberis, Prof. K. B. Choremis and Dr Ph. Fessas, Athens, and Dr G. Kypriotis, Rhodes. Dr A. U. Smith and Mrs N. A. Barnicot gave valuable help with the haematological investigations. We are also indebted to Prof. L. S. Penrose, Dr E. R. Huehns, Mrs Maynard Smith and Mr Norman Dance for their help. The work was supported by the Section on Geographic Medicine and Genetics, National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland.