Haemoglobin variants among voluntary blood donors in Jos, Nigeria: The implications on blood transfusion

INTRODUCTION: The normal haemoglobin is an efficient transporter of oxygen to the tissues and carbondioxide from tissues to the lungs for elimination. Various abnormal haemoglobin variants including, the sickle cell diseases, have been described with varying sickling tendencies. AIMS. This study aimed to determine the haemoglobin variants among voluntary blood donors in Jos. METHOD: Records of the age, sex, Haemoglobin level, and the haemoglobin genotype of all voluntary blood donors who donated blood at the National Blood Transfusion Service Centre, Jos, Nigeria between January 2011 and April 2012; and their haemoglobin levels and protein electrophoresis determined, were reviewed. RESULTS:  A total of 937 blood donors, 658 (70.23%) males and 279 (29.79%) females, mean age 32.4 years, donated blood voluntarily, their haemoglobin electrophoretic patterns determined by alkaline cellulose acetate electrophoresis. Donor blood haemoglobin levels were determined by automation.  Haemoglobin protein electrophoretic patterns identified among our donors were 77.70%  AA, 21.88% AS, 0.22% SC, 0.11% AC and 0.11% SS. Mean haemoglobin levels of the donors according to their haemoglobin proteins electrophoretic patterns were, 150.4 ± 12.5gms/l for AA, 151.9 ± 13.8gms/l for AS and 131.1 ± 5.0gms/l for haemoglobin SC. CONCLUSION: Determination of haemoglobin protein electrophoretic patterns of blood unit for transfusion could enhance selective blood issuing based on recipient's haemoglobin type. KEY WORDS: Haemoglobin Variants, Effective Transfusion