HbE trait - A curious case report

Abstract

This is a curious case of identification of a haemoglobin variant in a patient who was investigated for Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1C). The patient was 8year old boy from Tanjore,Tamil Nadu, India. This boy was having complaints of fever and myalgia. The boy was treated by a paediatrician who suspecting a infectious pathology requested for Creatine Phosphokinase (CPK), HbA1C and a peripheral smear. When the sample was analysed for HbA1C by capillary electrophoresis it was found that there was an abnormal variant. Suspecting the credibility of the value the sample was reanalysed in ion exchange High performance liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and the values were in contrast. The sample was then analysed by haemoglobin electrophoresis to identify the variant and it was found that the boy had a variant in the Hemoglobin E (HbE) zone and he was diagnosed as a case of HbE trait (AE).