Studies on abnormal hemoglobins. III. The interrelationship of type S (sickle cell) hemoglobin and type F (alkali resistant) hemoglobin in sickle cell anemia

1. It could be demonstrated that of the three tested types of human hemoglobin—N (normal adult), S (sickle cell) and F (fetal)—only the reduced S compound shows tactoid and gel formation in sufficiently concentrated solutions.These physico-chemical phenomena may be used for the qualitative identificationof S hemoglobin.

2. The alkali resistant hemoglobin fraction, present in sickle cell anemiaerythrocytes (but not in trait red cells), was concentrated in purified form. Notactoid or gel formation could be elicited. Therefore, this alkali resistant pigment does not appear to be a variant of S hemoglobin. It seems probable thatsickle cell anemia erythrocytes contain two separate types of pathologic hemoglobin (S and F) which are not directly related to each other.

Submitted on June 21, 1951 Accepted on July 23, 1951