Results
Erythrokinetics
Comparison between HbH disease, HbH/CS, and HbCS/CS.
We studied 4 patients with HbH disease and compared them with 6 patients with HbH/CS (Table 1). The MCV in HbH/CS disease is almost normal because of the well-described hyperhydration20 22 and the RBCs contain many inclusions.21 Values for iron-binding capacity and transferrin saturation were not different; however, the serum iron level in the patients with HbH/CS was 60% higher. Even though the 2 groups of patients were comparably anemic, the PITR, an index of erythropoiesis, was 3 times the control value in patients with HbH and 5 times the control value in those with HbH/CS (P