[Development of a method of screening for hemoglobin S for the purpose of genetic consultation in Cuba. Results of an analysis of 24,000 blood samples].

Electrophoretic screening system is worked out, which combines a high resolving power in polyacrylamide gel and a principle of simultaneous treatment of a large number of examples. 24,000 blood examples from inhabitants of Havana province (Cuba) are analysed in order to check the efficiency of the method described, to find the hemoglobin S frequency and to use these results in further genetic consulting. The frequency of hemoglobin S carriers is found to be 3.0%, that of hemoglobin C--0.7%. 15 rare hemoglobin variants are detected, 9 variants of alpha-chain and 3 variants of beta-chain are detected. One case was a result of hemoglobin S and a variant of alpha-chain interaction. Frequencies of S, C and A alleles were 0.016, 0.0038 and 0.98 respectively.