Hemoglobin variants and methods used for their characterization during 7 years of screening at the Center for Disease Control.

During 7 years of screening for hemoglobin variants, over 75 rare variants have been characterized. Of these, 18 were described for the first time. This report presents tabulated data regarding the structural and functional defects that were observed, information on the ethnic origin, and other special properties exhibited by these variants. The strategy and procedures for characterizing these variants are also summarized.