Abstract

Aims: An abnormality in the glycated haemoglobin peak (Hb A1c) on Diastat (Bio-Rad) cation exchange low pressure liquid chromatography (LPLC) was found in three Punjabi patients with diabetes. The aims of this study were to identify the variant by chromatography and electrophoresis and to determine whether a DNA analysis test could be designed for confirmation that could be generally applied for the identification of any unusual abnormal haemoglobin.

Methods: The presence of an Hb variant was confirmed by cellulose acetate electrophoresis at pH 8.6. The variant was characterised further by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC; Bio-Rad Variant) and isolelectric focusing (IEF) electrophoresis. A novel DNA analysis test based on the amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was developed to confirm the presence of the mutation for the uncommon variant.

Results: Comparison of the HPLC retention time and IEF band position determined the presence of the variant Hb Q-India in all three cases. Hb Q-India is caused by the mutation GAC → CAC at codon 64 of the α-1 globin gene and is clinically silent. ARMS-PCR specific primers were designed and used successfully to confirm the presence of the mutation for Hb Q-India.

Conclusions: The results show that the ARMS-PCR technique, developed previously for the diagnosis of β thalassaemia mutations, can also be adapted to provide a simple, rapid, and inexpensive approach for the identification of abnormal haemoglobins.