title: Evaluating five dedicated automatic devices for haemoglobinopathy diagnostics in multi-ethnic populations.
abstract: We have tested five haemoglobin (Hb) separation apparatuses, dedicated to haemoglobinopathy diagnostics. These are the four high performance liquid chromatography devices: VARIANT II, HA 8160, G7, Ultra(2) and the Capillary Electrophoresis apparatus from Sebia. In the first place, we focussed on the capacity of all apparatuses to detect the most common structural variants relevant for public health, these being HbS, HbC, HbE, HbD-Punjab and HbO-Arab. We then compared how the high HbA(2)beta-thalassaemia carriers were identified. All apparatuses were able to identify carriers of these traits with the expected sensitivity and specificity. With the primary goal of a high degree of conformity in basic diagnostics of haemoglobinopathies, we present the interpretation and the significance of the results on all apparatuses, and we comment on the unavoidable problems and solutions.
authors.affiliation: The Haemoglobinopathies Laboratory, Department of Human and Clinical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden 2300 RC, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Delft
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lenters
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bakker-Verweij
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Korte
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Baylan
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Harteveld
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Giordano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D019075:Electrophoresis, Capillary / Q000295:instrumentation; D005006:Ethnicity; D006452:Hemoglobinometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006453:Hemoglobinopathies / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006455:Hemoglobins, Abnormal / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D006455:Hemoglobins, Abnormal