HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Edwards, H. D. Articles by Shihabi, Z. K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Edwards, H. D. Articles by Shihabi, Z. K.

Rapid Quantitation of Hemoglobin S in Sickle Cell Patients Using the Variant II Turbo Analyzer

Address correspondence to Zak K. Shihabi, Ph.D., Department of Pathology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA; tel 336 716 2639; fax 336 716 9944; e-mail zshihabi{at}wfubmc.edu.

A rapid (~90 sec), fully automated method is described for quantifying hemoglobin S (HbS) by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using the Bio-Rad Variant II Turbo analyzer. Although this instrument is designed to quantify only blood hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), we show that it can also quantify accurately, without modification, HbS levels in sickle cell patients, provided the blood samples meet certain conditions. The samples should contain detectable hemoglobin F (HbF), but should not contain hemoglobin C (HbC). Under these conditions, blood HbS levels obtained by this method correlate well with those obtained by agarose electrophoresis (r² = 0.97, n = 81 patients). We also show that quantitation of blood HbF in sickle cell patients is more accurate by this method than by agarose electrophoresis when the HbF level is in the range from 0.2 to 10%.

Keywords: hemoglobinopathies, sickle cell disease, fetal hemoglobin, glycated hemoglobin, hemoglobin quantification, electrophoresis, HPLC, HbA1c