Fetal Hemoglobin-containing Erythrocytes I. Counts of Cells Stained by the Acid Elution Method Compared with Alkali Denaturation Measurements

The quantitative study of peripheral smears for red cells containing fetalhemoglobin ("F-containing cells") by the acid elution method is a usefuland dependable screening test. Findings with this approach were comparedwith fetal hemoglobin assay by alkali-denaturation in a series of 19 normalsubjects and 63 subjects with an assortment of blood disturbances. The resultsof the two methods had a correlation of +.79, suggesting a reliable butfar from perfect identity between the methods. The acid elution methodtended to give higher readings, and seemed more sensitive for recognizingindividuals with slight increases in red cell fetal hemoglobin as occurs inthalassemia minor.

Accepted on December 11, 1962