Comparison of FPLC with cellulose acetate electrophoresis for the diagnosis of beta-thalassaemia trait.

Different electrophoretic and chromatographic techniques are described in the literature for the estimation of HbA2 levels. We compared the fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) technique with the conventional cellulose acetate electrophoresis (CAE) used routinely in most laboratories. Ninety five individuals from high risk groups were screened for beta-thalassaemia trait by both the techniques. The cut-off value for the diagnosis of beta-thalassaemia trait by both the techniques was 3.8 per cent and 27 heterozygotes were identified. As both techniques gave comparable results, CAE could be the cost effective method of choice for routine screening for beta-thalassaemia trait.