Prenatal diagnosis of hemoglobinopathies: a potential application of high performance liquid chromatography.

High performance liquid chromatography was compared with carboxymethyl cellulose column chromatography data for analysis of globin chain composition and biosynthetic ratios in fetal blood. A formula was derived for mathematical correction for losses of small amounts of globin protein on the high performance liquid chromatography column. Radioactive globin chain ratios by high performance liquid chromatography are equivalent to those by carboxymethyl cellulose column chromatography, but only when carrier Hb A is added. We conclude that high performance liquid chromatography provides a suitable alternative to carboxymethyl cellulose columns, and has several advantages.