Regional Distribution of Ataxia-Telangiectasia Cases in Iran

Abstract

Background: Ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) is a rare, autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cerebellar ataxia, oculocutaneous telangiectasia, immunodeficiency, recurrent infections, radiosensitivity, and an increased risk of malignancies. This study aimed to evaluate the distribution of A-T patients, parenteral consanguinity status, and diagnostic delays in different provinces of Iran.

Methods: A retrospective observational and analytical study in which all A-T patients with a recorded place of birth or residency were included. A questionnaire was designed and filled out for each patient to extract data including date of birth, gender, parental consanguinity status, family history, age of disease onset, and age of disease diagnosis.

Results: A total of 203 A-T patients (104 males and 99 females) were included in the study. Out of a total of 31 provinces, A-T patients were diagnosed and reported in 25 different provinces, while six provinces had no registered A-T patients. Tehran province, the most densely populated province in Iran, reported the predominant number and frequency of cases (52 patients or 25.6%), followed by Khouzestan (16 cases, 7.9%), Alborz (12 cases, 5.9%) and Isfahan (12 cases, 5.9%) provinces. No statistically significant relationship was found regarding family history status. Hamedan followed by Sistan and Baluchestan, and Yazd provinces had the highest delay in diagnosis.

Conclusion: Our study showed that A-T is distributed in most provinces of Iran. We found a considerably high diagnostic delay among A-T patients in Iran, especially in resource-limited provinces, including Hamedan followed by Sistan and Baluchestan, and Yazd.