To the Editor: In her article on hydroxyurea for the treatmentof sickle cell anemia, Platt (March 27 issue)1 states that "thered cells of a normal adult generally contain almost 100% hemoglobinA and those of a person with sickle cell anemia contain almost100% sickle hemoglobin." This statement is not entirely accurate.In the normal adult, hemoglobin A constitutes about 97% of thetotal hemoglobin, hemoglobin A2 constitutes about 2%, and hemoglobinF constitutes about 1%.2
Harris V.K. Naina, M.B., B.S. Samar Harris, M.B., B.S. Mayo Clinic College of Medicine Rochester, MN 55901 naina.harris@mayo.edu
Platt OS. Hydroxyurea for the treatment of sickle cell anemia. N Engl J Med 2008;358:1362-1369. [Free Full Text]
Schecter AN, Ajioka RS, Kushner JP. Hemoglobin and heme biosynthesis. In: Young NS, Gerson SL, High KA, eds. Clinical hematology. Philadelphia: Elsevier, 2006:16-33.