Introduction: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common inherited disorder of haemoglobin worldwide. This study evaluated the chromatographic patterns and red blood cell indices of sickle cell patients to determine the co-inheritance of other haemoglobin(Hb) variants and β-thalassaemia trait.

Methods: Red cell indices, blood film, sickle solubility test, Hb electrophoresis using alkaline cellulose acetate membrane, and chromatographic patterns using Bio Rad HPLC Variant II were evaluated for 180 subjects.

Results: Based on low MCV<76fL and MCH<25 pg, in the presence of elevated A2 >4.0% on HPLC and Hb variants eluting outside the S and C windows, at least four haemoglobin phenotypes (SS: 87.7%; SC: 1.1%; SD Punjab: 0.6%; Sβ-thalassemia: 10.6%) were identified. Mean Hb F% was 8.1±5.1 (median 7.65) for Hb SS and 6.03±5.2 (median 3.9) for Hb Sβ-thalassemia trait. Majority of Hb SS (69.1%) had Hb F% less than 10 while 27.6% had 10-19.9 and 3.2% had ≥ 20. Mean Hb F% was higher in female Hb SS (9.55±5.09; mean age 7.4±3.8 years) than the males (7.63±4.80; mean age 6.9±3.8 years) (P=0.02). A borderline significant negative correlation between age and Hb F levels among Hb SS subjects (r= -0.169 P=0.038) was also observed.

Conclusion: Our data suggests that α and β- thalassaemia traits, and other haemoglobin variants co-exist frequently with SCD in our population.