Jonathan S. Krauss

Factor VIII Related Antigen-concanavalin a binding in plasma and serum

The Factor VIII Related Antigen (FVIIIRAG) was determined by electroimmunodiffusion and the per cent concanavalin A (% con A) binding of FVIIIRAG was determined by crossed affinity electrophoresis (CAIEP) in the plasma and serum of 8 hospitalized patients. The FVIIIRAG in plasma and serum was 669 and 501% of lyophilized plasma, respectively (correlation coefficient, r = 0.92). The FVIIIRAG con A-binding of plasma and serum were 44 and 16%, respectively (p less than 0.01), while the FVIIIRAG-con A binding of lyophilized plasma is 78%. We conclude that plasma has a higher content of electrophoretically slower, high con A affinity FVIIIRAG multimers than serum. The high FVIIIRAG levels of both serum and plasma and the comparatively low plasma FVIIIRAG-con A binding here may reflect the acute phase reaction.

The microchromatographic measurement of fetal hemoglobin levels in hemoglobin C-associated conditions

We report the microchromatographic estimation of fetal hemoglobin (Hb F) in 3 conditions associated with hemoglobin C: hemoglobin C-hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (Hb C-HPFH), homozygous hemoglobin C disease, and hemoglobin SC disease. In the case of Hb C-HPFH (Case 1) the Hb F level by alkali denaturation was 32.5% while the Hb F level by microchromatography was 35.3%. In both cases of homozygous Hb C disease and Hb SC disease the Hb F level by alkali denaturation was less than 1% and the microchromatographic Hb F level was 0.7%. We conclude that microchromatographic methods for determination of Hb F levels can be employed in the Hb C-HPFH, homozygous Hb C, and Hb SC conditions. To our knowledge, the microchromatographic determination of Hb F levels has not been applied previously to the Hb C-HPFH condition or Hb C disease.