Evaluation of haptoglobin phenotype 0-0 in cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic hospital populations.

The haptoglobin phenotypes of 3,332 individuals, consisting of 2,930 caucasians and 402 negroes living in the greater Boston area, were determined. Of these, 3,222 were hospitalized medical patients fully documented regarding diagnoses. One hundred and twentyeight of the total population studied were shown to exhibit starch gel anhaptoglobinaemia (3.7%). Re-evaluation on acrylamide gel of 118 0-0 samples revealed that the majority (94%) were derived from patients exhibiting hypohaptoglobinaemia rather than anhaptoglobinaemia.