Utilization of monoclonal-antibody-based assay (HemoCard in screening for and differentiating between genotypes of sickle cell disease and other hemoglobinopathies

Sickle cell disease covers a group of conditions in which pathology may be attributed to the presence of sickle hemoglobin (HbS). The identification of HbS and other variants including those in combination with HbS is commonly achieved by cellulose acetate electrophoresis at alkaline pH. Because many hemoglobin variants with similar charges have similar electrophoretic migration patterns, they are difficult to differentiate by electrophoresis. The HemoCard assays address this concern through the use of monoclonal antibodies capable of specifically recognizing the unique amino acid substitution in the variant hemoglobin. The panel of HemoCard monoclonal antibodies confirms the absence and presence of HbA, HbC, HbE, HbS, and other sickling hemoglobin variants. The combination of alkaline cellulose acetate electrophoresis and HemoCard assays allows the technologist to reach a final conformation of both common and much less common sickle cell disease genotypes, combinations of HbS with other hemoglobins that ordinarily do not produce sickle cell disease, and other clinically important hemoglobinopathies including HbE/beta-thalassemia and hemoglobin C disease.