The silent carrier form of alpha thalassemia results from one alpha chain gene loci deletion. Individuals who are silent carriers show no clinical disease and demonstrate normal results during routine laboratory testing.
This form of alpha thalassemia is usually discovered upon genetic familial testing. Silent carrier alpha thalassemia parents can pass on the alpha thalassemia gene and possibly a more serious form of alpha thalassemia if they have children with a partner who also carries thalassemia genes.
