Alkali-Resistant Hemoglobin in Aplastic Anemia of Both Acquired and Congenital Types

DURING a study of patients with aplastic anemia1 it was noted that blood from such patients showed an increased amount of alkali-resistant hemoglobin. It is known that increased production of alkali-resistant or fetal hemoglobin is usually associated with some genetically determined anemias such as thalassemia and sickle-cell anemia. Scattered reports have also indicated that production of fetal hemoglobin may be reactivated in some acquired disorders such as pernicious anemia, multiple myeloma,2 molar pregnancy3 and aplastic anemia.2 , 4 , 5 The evaluation of alkali-resistant hemoglobin in this last condition, however, has yielded conflicting results. Although some investigators have found abnormal amounts of this hemoglobin . . .