₦airaland Forum

On two occasions I have seen people whose genotype happen to be ASC. Instead of the normal single or double band we are used to, they appear to have three bands on the elecrophoresis machine. I've tried finding a good explanation for it on net but haven't come across any convincing explanation. Has anyone here encounter such? And for the medical practitioners, can anyone help me by explaining the possibility of someone having ASC when we have just two globin chains.

48 views and no comment? Does that mean am the only one who has seen that?

Still hoping to get your response.

SalC:
On two occasions I have seen people whose genotype happen to be ASC. Instead of the normal single or double band we are used to, they appear to have three bands on the elecrophoresis machine. I've tried finding a good explanation for it on net but haven't come across any convincing explanation. Has anyone here encounter such? And for the medical practitioners, can anyone help me by explaining the possibility of someone having ASC when we have just two globin chains.

ASC is not a genotype but very possible to have three distinct bands separated from a sample during Hb electrophoresis. This is rare tho and may result from cases of multiple blood transfusions or contaminated blood sample for Hb electrophoresis.
In the case of multiple blood transfusion, such patient should be adviced to repeat testing after 3 months and you result the genotype as indeterminate, never as ASC.
Washing the cells for testing with normal saline severally before lyzing your cells for Hb electrophoresis also impacts on making sure the "pseudo Hb" is washed off and the actual Hb in the test sample is separated.
If a case of contamination is suspected, sample should be re-collected and treated with care.

I hope you find this useful, as it is an excerpt from personal experience in the course of my practice as a medical lab scientist.