Inhomogeneity of Hemoglobin. VI. The Minor Hemoglobin Components of Cord Blood

In a survey of over 300 cord bloods of Negro babies, some 54 cases were selected at random to study the occurrence of the minor hemoglobin components Hb-Bart’s, Hb-H, and Hb-A2. The relationship of these components to Hb-F is discussed. Seven cases with moderate amounts of Hb-Bart’s and Hb-H were studied more intensively, along with the respective parents when possible. The findings suggest the absence of expression beyond infancy of any abnormality responsible for α chain-lacking hemoglobin types of cord blood. The physiology of Hb-Bart’s reveals its high oxygen affinity to be approximately 8-10 times that of Hb-A, its lack of a Bohr effect and an oxygen dissociation curve showing no heme-heme interaction. The discovery of a minute amount of a Hb-Gower II-like component in a cord blood sample of a prematurely born white baby of 7.5 months is also presented.