Follow-up of 3 605 cord blood donors after 6 months of cord blood donation in Guangzhou cord blood bank / 中国实验血液学杂志

To study the program of evaluating mothers and infants after 6 months of cord blood donation, from June 1998 to February 2004, all mothers after 6 months of cord blood donation were followed-up by phone calls or letters to report on the health condition. The results showed that when 3 195 mothers were visited by phone calls, 18 mothers declined to answer. 392 letter were send to those who could not be found by phone, 15 of whom wrote back. The average time to talk with each mother was approximately 12 minutes. Follow-up on the baby donors showed two cases with chromosome abnormality, one with hypothyroidism, one with neutropenia, one with albinism and 5 dead with unclear reasons. The cord blood components from all these abnormal donors found were discarded. In conclusion, the programs to evaluate mother and baby after 6 months of cord blood donation seems important in quality control of the components stored in cord blood bank.

Use of capillary electrophoresis to determine hemoglobin A2 in healthy adults and alpha- and beta-thalassemia carriers / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the capillary isoelectric focusing (CIEF) method for the estimation of blood hemoglobin A2 (Hb A2) concentrations in routine thalassemia screening.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 105 samples from healthy adults and 93 samples with positive phenotypes were collected by routine thalassemia screening. CIEF was compared with Helena spife combo electrophoresis system for Hb A2 measurement and its precision and reproducibility were tested by analyzing intra-assay or inter-assay coefficient of variations(CVs). The reliability and veracity of Hb A2 measurement by CIEF for the detection of alpha- and beta- thalassemia including Hb E were evaluated by genotyping of 93 consecutive samples for routine thalassemia screening.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>By us e of CIEF for measurement of Hb A2 in a local healthy adult population, the range of reference value(3.59%-5.23%) was obtained. The results of CIEF showed good linearity relation to that of conventional Hb electrophoresis assay. All thalassemia carriers (43 cases of alpha-thals and 44 of beta-thals) or Hb E carriers (6 cases) presumptively identified by the present CIEF for the quantification of Hb A2, combined with routine RBC parameters for indicating microcytosis and hypochromia were confirmed to be the heterozygous or compound heterozygous defects of alpha- or beta- globin gene by molecular diagnosis, without any false positive or false negative results.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The measurement of Hb A2 by CIEF method is rapid, precise and reproducible; it could be used in routine screening for alpha- or beta- thalassemia.</p>