What is Thalassaemia?
{{Infobox disease | Name = Thalassaemia | ICD10 = {{ICD10|D|56||d|56}} | ICD9 = {{ICD9|282.4}} | OMIM = | MedlinePlus = 000587 | eMedicineSubj = ped | eMedicineTopic = 2229 | eMedicine_mult = {{eMedicine2|radio|686}} | MeshID = D013789 }} '''Thalassaemia''' (or '''thalassemia''') is a [[genetic disorder]] of the blood which originated in the [[Mediterranean region]]. This disease is caused by the weakening and destruction of [[red blood cell]]s. This is caused by [[mutation|mutant]] [[genes]] which affect how the body makes [[haemoglobin]]. Haemoglobin is the [[protein]] in red blood cells which carries [[oxygen]]. People with thalassaemia make less haemoglobin and fewer circulating red blood cells than normal, which results in mild or severe [[anemia]]. Thalassaemia can cause significant complications, including [[pneumonia]], iron overload, bone deformities and [[cardiovascular system|cardiovascular]] illness. However, this inherited disease of red blood cells gives a degree of protection against [[malaria]], which is or was common in the regions where the [[trait]] is common. This selective survival advantage for carriers (known as [[heterozygous advantage]]) is responsible for keeping the mutation in populations way above its mutation rate. Carriers are [[heterozygous]] for the thalassaemia [[allele]], meaning only one of their two alleles is mutant (abnormal). There are a number of different versions of thalassaemia. Each one is caused by a mutation in a different position in the [[genome]]. In that respect, thalassaemia resembles another [[genetic disorder]] affecting haemoglobin, [[sickle-cell disease]].<ref>Weatherall David J, Chapter 47. The Thalassemias: disorders of globin synthesis. In Lichtman MA ''et al''. ''Williams Hematology''. 8th ed. [http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=6123722] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104000352/http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=6123722|date=2013-11-04}}</ref><r