The haemoglobin pattern of sickle cell and haemoglobin C beta +-thalassaemia in Liberia.

Haemoglobin components in 21 Liberians with Hb S beta +-thalassaemia and four with Hb C beta +-thalassaemia were measured to classify the forms of beta +-thalassaemia present in the population. In 20 Hb S and all Hb C beta +-thalassaemics the data were consistent with the interaction of these variants with the mild type 2 (Negro) form of beta +-thalassaemia. The data available were insufficient to classify the remaining case, a young child. It was concluded that the clinically more severe type of beta +-thalassaemia giving Hb A levels of 5 to 15% in compound heterozygotes is probably uncommon in Liberia.