Two 13 - Chain Abnormal Hemoglobins in One Individual

By TITUS H. J. HuIS sL&rc AND RALPH C. LEE I N A PREVIOUS PAPER6 we reported the discovery of an abnormal minor hemoglobin in a Negro family ( Fam. S ) in Georgia. This hemoglobin, designated as Hb-Flatbush0 , showed the following properties : ( a ) an electrophoretic mobility ( starch gel electrophoresis at pH 8.1 ) intermediate between Hb-S and Hb-F; ( b ) a chromatographic mobility ( DEAE-cellulose) intermediate between Hb-A2 and Hb-A; ( c ) the presence of a and (altered) 6 chains by starch gel electrophoresis at low pH of the pure globin and by the reaction of the pure hemoglobin with anti Hb-A and anti Hb-A2 antibodies. These characteristics, together with the fact that in heterozygous carriers of this abnormality the levels of Hb-A2 (0.9-1.15 per cent) were found to be decreased by approximately 50 per cent, whereas the amounts of Hb-FlatbushGa varied between 1.35-1.50 per cent, offer strong evidence that the hemoglobin is a variant of Hb-A2 and likely identical with the Hb-Flatbush abnormality described by Ranney et al.7 In this communication we report the results of studies of a second, apparently nonrelated Negro family, in which Hb-FlatbushGa and Hb-A21, a known variant of Hb-A22’5 were found. These results include the description of 1 member of this family in vhich the 2 abnormalities were present together, while normal Hb-A2 was not detectable.