Alpha thalassemia genotypes in Kuwait.

There is a wide variety of alpha thalassemia alleles among Kuwaitis, but nondeletional PA-1 is by far the most common cause of the moderate to severe HbH (β4 tetramer) disease phenotype. The α0 (-MED) allele is also encountered, which has implications for premarital counseling, especially for the possibility of having babies with alpha thalassemia major (Barts hydrops fetalis).