Prevalence of HB E from cord blood samples and after one year follow-up

Hemoglobin (Hb) E is the most prevalent hemoglobinopathy in Southeast Asia. The prevalence of this condition varies from 9-60% of the population in different regions of Thailand and has the highest prevalence the northeast of the country. Neonatal diagnosis of Hb E can be made by detecting the Hb band in cord blood samples at the Hb A2 position using starch gel and cellulose acetate electrophoresis. Our study, performed in Bangkok, in the central part of Thailand, resealed that 182 out of 1,015 cord blood samples (17.9%) contained Hb E in amounts of between 1.9 and 10.0%. The cases who had Hb A, F and E with or without Hb Bart's were initially included in the study. These cases were suspected to have the Hb E trait. One hundred and seven cases (58.89%) were available for follow up and in all of these, Hb E could be detected throughout the study. A sharp increase in the amount of Hb E was observed at the 3 months follow-up appointment. One year follow-up could be made in 72 cases (39.6%) when the percentage of Hb E was around 25%. We conclude that measurement of Hb E in cord blood an easily accessible, simple, practical and sensitive procedure which can be used to study the Hb E hemoglobinopathy which is widely distributed in Thailand and Southeast Asia.