Comparison of electrophoresis on citrate agar, cellulose acetate, or starch for hemoglobin identification

We compare and discuss three electrophoretic methods for identifying hemoglobins S, A, C, F, and D or G. Electrophoresis on citrate agar gel was more sensitive than electrophoresis on cellulose acetate for detecting hemoglobins S and F, a fundamental consideration in designing cord-blood screening programs for detecting hemoglobin S carriers. Electrophoresis on starch gel is evidently an acceptable method for subtyping hemoglobins AA, CC, AS, SS, AC, and SC, and is more sensitive than cellulose acetate for identifying hemoglobin A1A2. Costs for the citrate agar gel, cellulose acetate, and starch gel procedures are presented.