An 18-year-old man is recently diagnosed with beta-thalassemia minor. His hemoglobin is 10.5 g/dL, and he feels well. Which of the following findings is characteristic of this condition? (A) an increased amount of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) or hemoglobin A2 (HbA2) (B) increased osmotic fragility of the red cells (C) absent bone marrow iron (D) increased macroglobulins in the serum (E) small amounts of HbS
A) An increased amount of HbF or HbA2 would be As beta-chains are decreasedin beta-thalassemia,the excess alpha-chains combine with gamma- and delta-chains to make HbF and HbA2
A is probably the right answer as explained Dr.Dalia. also i guess osmotic fragility decreases in thalessemic patient that is they become more resistant to disintegration on osmotic exposure...