Hemoglobinopathies types and their peculiarities in Morocco

Abstract

There are two forms of thalassemia – alpha- and beta-, though clinically thalassemia is divided into minor, intermediate and major. Beta-thalassemia rate is 6-7% in Morocco (S.S. Khandker, 2023) with prevalence in Casablanca 5% among all cities (S. El Kababi, 2019), alpha-thalassemia 0,96%, particularly in the North (A.Laghmich et al., 2019), minor form 1,2% in a whole country. Carriers rate is 6,5% on beta-thalassemia (N.Marzouki, 2022), alpha-thalassemia 0,30% (I.Belmokhtar et al., 2025) and 8% on both thalassemia types (A.Laghmich et al., 2019). Morocco East became thalassemia region after its North and West (I.Belmokhtar et al., 2022). In Rabat, there was a research set which results demonstrated beta-thalassemia major dependence on HLA antigens of both I and II class (S. Ouadghiri et al., 2024). Novel beta-thalassemia variants (C6(-G) and -83(A>G) as well as Hb structural variant D-Ouled Rabah have been discovered first in Morocco. Beta-thalassemia represents the most widely-distributed hemoglobinopathy in Morocco while hemoglobinosis C takes the second position, alpha-thalassemia the third, hemoglobinosis G-Philadelphia - the fourth, D-Ouled Rabah and O-Arab the fifth one (I.Belmokhtar et al., 2025). Morocco has hemoglobinosis C representing mutant Hb with glutaminic acid replacement into lysine in its beta-chain 6 th position. Moroccan people have not only softer heterozygous form with no anemy but also harder homozygous form with moderate hemolytic anemy and Hb crystals in blood smears. Hemoglobinosis C is distributed in Southern Morocco at a greater extent (N.Marzouki, 2022). A combination between these Hb types represents more difficult pathological condition by course than separate hemoglobinoses. There are the data according to which beta-thalassemia can be in a complex with hemoglobinoses C and S with especially hard form of the disease, met in Eastern Morocco mainly (I.Belmokhtar, 2022), except Southern part of the country. Northern Moroccan city Kenitra is distinguished by sickle cell syndromes or hemoglobinosis S in children. Sickle-cell anemy carriers rate is 6,5% and morbidity 80% in the North and 10,5% in other parts of the country (N.Marzouki, 2022).