Separation of hemoglobins and hemoglobin chains by high-performance liquid chromatography.

This paper evaluates various high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) procedures useful for the detection and evaluation of numerous hemoglobin abnormalities in adults and in newborn infants. Two major approaches are discussed. The first concerns the analyses of hemoglobins in red cell lysates by anion- and cation-exchange chromatography; this type of HPLC has great potential in a routine laboratory, as quantitative data for numerous abnormalities can readily be obtained. The second concerns the separation of globin chains by reversed-phase HPLC that is most useful for the identification of hemoglobinopathies in adults, newborns, and fetuses.