Analysis of haemoglobin variants using immobilized pH gradients.

We present a new method for analysis of haemoglobin variants in immobilized pH gradients. The isoelectric fractionation is performed in polyacrylamide gels with copolymerized pH gradients between pH 7.0 and 8.0. The common haemoglobin variants (HbA, HbF, HbS, HbC, HbE and HbA2) are clearly resolved within this pH range. The high resolving power and reproducibility of immobilized pH gradients combined with extremely short separation times make this fractionation technique superior to all electrokinetic procedures used for haemoglobin analysis. At present, isoelectric focusing in immobilized pH gradients is a complementary tool for haemoglobin analysis when classical electrophoretic techniques do not provide sufficient resolution. We hope that in the future this technique will gain the popularity it deserves.