Haemoglobin F levels in healthy Nigerian adults

Sickle Cell disease is a major genetic disorder in tropical Africa; its severity is often ameliorated by the presence of high levels of HbF, which is genetically determined. HbF was assessed in healthy Nigeria adults using the two minutes alkali denaturation method of Betke. The subjects studied included twenty-six males and twenty-four females all with HbA this was compared with twenty heterozygotes (HbAS). The mean HbF of the entire subject studied was 2.5 +/- 1.7% (range 0.4-12.8%). The mean value for Individuals with HbA genotype was 2.7 +/- 3.4% (range 0.4-12.8%). While the AS subject had a mean of 2.4 +/- 2.2% (range 0.7-8.4%). Twenty-two percent of the population studied had value greater than 3%. The high Level of HbF among healthy adults is believed to be genetic and related to the high prevalence of sickle cell disease in this sub-region. The association between HbF and high Persistence of fetal haemoglobin (HPFH) and the thalassaemias are discussed.