Blood Group & Sickle Cell Plus Thalassaemia Screen

This comprehensive screen brings together everything in our standard Blood Group & Sickle Cell Genotype test and extends it to screen for both alpha and beta-thalassaemia. Alongside blood grouping and detailed haemoglobin analysis by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), it includes red cell indices and iron status, which together help detect alpha-thalassaemia, a condition that HPLC alone cannot identify.

Blood group

Blood grouping determines your blood type based on certain antigens on the surface of your red blood cells. This test identifies:

• ABO type (A, B, AB, or O)
• Rh factor (positive or negative)

Haemoglobin genotype

Haemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen around the body. Your haemoglobin genotype is inherited from your parents and determines the type of haemoglobin you produce. Most people have a normal genotype (HbAA), but some inherit variants that can lead to conditions such as sickle cell disease or thalassaemia. This test assesses:

• Sickle cell status
• Beta-thalassaemia status
• Haemoglobin components, including HbA0, HbA2, HbF, HbS, HbA1c, and any other haemoglobin variants present

Thalassaemia screening

Alpha-thalassaemia leaves no distinctive signature on HPLC, so it is screened for using your red cell indices and iron status. A pattern of small red cells (low MCV and MCH) alongside normal iron stores can point to alpha-thalassaemia and would prompt confirmatory genetic testing. Measuring iron status at the same time also distinguishes this picture from iron deficiency, a far more common cause of small red cells. This part of the screen includes:

• Red blood cell count (RBC)
• Haemoglobin (Hb)
• Mean cell volume (MCV)
• Mean cell haemoglobin (MCH)
• Ferritin (iron status)

Why it matters

Knowing your blood group and full haemoglobin makeup is valuable for:

• Safe blood transfusion, by ensuring a compatible match
• Pregnancy planning and management, including Rh compatibility
• Understanding genetic compatibility between partners
• Assessing the risk of passing on inherited conditions such as sickle cell disease or thalassaemia to children

Please note this test screens for alpha-thalassaemia rather than confirming it. A result suggesting alpha-thalassaemia would need a separate genetic (DNA) test to confirm the diagnosis.

Blood Group
- ABO
- Rh (D antigen)

Haemoglobin Genotype
- Sickle cell status
- Beta-thalassaemia status
- Haemoglobin components (HbA0, HbA2, HbF, HbS, HbA1c, and any other Hb variant present)

Thalassaemia Screen (Red Cell Indices & Iron Status)
- Red blood cell count (RBC)
- Haemoglobin (Hb)
- Mean cell volume (MCV)
- Mean cell haemoglobin (MCH)
- Ferritin

No special preparation required.

For blood tests, we recommend drinking plenty of water beforehand to ensure smooth sample collection. If you are taking any regular medication, continue to do so unless advised otherwise by your doctor.