Lachover-Roth, I.; Peretz, S.; Zoabi, H.; Harel, E.; Livshits, L.; Filon, D.; Levin, C.; Koren, A. Support Vector Machine-Based Formula for Detecting Suspected α Thalassemia Carriers: A Path toward Universal Screening. Int. J. Mol. Sci.2024, 25, 6446.
Lachover-Roth, I.; Peretz, S.; Zoabi, H.; Harel, E.; Livshits, L.; Filon, D.; Levin, C.; Koren, A. Support Vector Machine-Based Formula for Detecting Suspected α Thalassemia Carriers: A Path toward Universal Screening. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25, 6446.
Lachover-Roth, I.; Peretz, S.; Zoabi, H.; Harel, E.; Livshits, L.; Filon, D.; Levin, C.; Koren, A. Support Vector Machine-Based Formula for Detecting Suspected α Thalassemia Carriers: A Path toward Universal Screening. Int. J. Mol. Sci.2024, 25, 6446.
Lachover-Roth, I.; Peretz, S.; Zoabi, H.; Harel, E.; Livshits, L.; Filon, D.; Levin, C.; Koren, A. Support Vector Machine-Based Formula for Detecting Suspected α Thalassemia Carriers: A Path toward Universal Screening. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25, 6446.
Abstract
The blood counts of α thalassemia carriers (α-thal) are similar to those of β thalassemia carriers, except for Hgb A2 that is not elevated. The objective of this study was to determine whether mathematical formulas are effective for detecting suspected α-thal.
The data were obtained from the database of the prevention program for detecting couples at risk for having a child with hemoglobinopathy. RBC indices were analyzed using mathematical formulas and the sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) calculated.
Among 1334 blood counts suspected α-thal analyzed, only the Shine&Lal and the Support Vector Machine formulas revealed high sensitivity and NPV. Sensitivity was 85.54 and 99.33% and NPV 98.93 and 99.93%, respectively. Molecular defects were found in 291, 81 had normal α genes. Molecular analysis was not performed in 962.
Based on these results, mathematical formulas incorporating one of these reliable formulas for detecting suspected α or β thalassemia carriers in the program of the automatic analyzers can flag these results and increase the awareness of the primary physicians about the carrier risk and send an alert with a recommendation for further testing.
Keywords
Alpha Thalassemia, Screening, Support Vector Machine, Mathematical Formulas
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Hematology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.