Transfusion associated peak in hb HPLC chromatogram - a case report

Sonal Jain1, Jasmita Dass, Hara Prasad Pati

  • 1Department of Hematology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.

High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and electrophoresis are commonly used to diagnose various hemoglobinopathies. However, insufficient information about the transfusion history can lead to unexpected and confusing results. We are reporting a case of Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) in which HbHPLC was done to quantify fetal hemoglobin (HbF). The chromatogram showed elevated HbF along with a peak in the HbD window. A transfusion acquired peak was suspected based on the unexpectedly low percentage of HbD and was subsequently confirmed using parental HbHPLC.