The authors present a review of clinical and laboratory findings of seven in the Czech Republic hitherto diagnosed structural haemoglobin variants. Unstable variants are found most frequently: Hb-Köln, Hb-St. Louis,
Hb-Nottingham, Hb-E and Hb-Hradec Králové. The variant Hb-Hradec Králové (
Hb-HK) or alpha 2 beta 2 115 (G17)
Ala-Asp was newly detected. The great instability of
Hb-HK chains makes classical diagnosis of Hb-pathy impossible. It was possible to identify it only at a molecular genetic level. A manifestation of
Hb-HK instability is also the thalassaemic feature of the disease and the formation of Heinz bodies from free chains. The only representative of haemoglobins with a high
oxygen affinity identified in this country was newly detected. It was given the name
Hb-Olomouc or alpha 2 beta 2 86 (F2)
Ala-Asp. This haemoglobin variant leads to
erythrocytosis in father and son and the same clinical manifestations were recently described also in Japan. The last structural variant of haemoglobin found in this country is
Hb-M Milwaukee or alpha 2 beta 2 67 (E11) Val-Glu which in our patients is manifested rather by
haemolysis with formation of Heinz bodies than classical
cyanosis. The cause of instability of Hb-M in our patients is not known. Hb-S was not diagnosed so far in the Czech Republic.