Patients
Efforts were made to recall as many of the patients in the previous observational study 12 as possible, using the parents’ phone numbers. The study was conducted between September 2021 and May 2022. The patients were attending the pediatric and adult hematology clinics of Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital in Kuwait. They were studied in steady state i.e., no acute illness, crisis or blood transfusion within 3 months of the study. The study was approved by the Human Ethics Committee of the Health Science Centre and the Kuwait Ministry of Health. An informed, signed consent was obtained from the parents and/or patients as appropriate.
Laboratory Examinations Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) tubes were used to collect blood through venipuncture. Complete blood count (CBC) was carried out using ABX Pentra 120 cell counter. Cation-exchange high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to confirm the hemoglobin (Hb) genotype and the hemoglobin F (HbF) concentration. Serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH, IU/L), and bilirubin (µmol/L) were measured using routine techniques.