Abstract
Screening peripheral or cord blood from newborn infants has been used for early detection of alpha-thalassemia conditions. The level of hemoglobin Bart's (Hb Bart's) in the blood correlates with the degree of alpha-gene deletion. Hence, the degree of gene deletion in an alpha-thalassemia carrier state can be estimated. Two thousand cord blood samples collected from the Tainan area were screened with cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis for Hb Bart's. Ninety-nine of the 2,000 samples (4.95%) were positive for Hb Bart's. Concentrations of Hb Bart's varied from 3.2% to 30.7%. Of the 99 cases with Hb Bart's, 22 had Hb Bart's levels of 3.0% to 9.9%; 54 had Hb Bart's levels of 10.0% to 19.9%; and 23 had Hb Bart's levels of 20% to 40%. Routine cord blood screening by hemoglobin electrophoresis is recommended.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1213-1215 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | Journal of the Formosan Medical Association |
| Volume | 91 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| State | Published - 12 1992 |
| Externally published | Yes |