Abstract

The diagnosis of hereditary spherocytosis (HS) relies on a combination of clinical manifestations, hematologic parameters, and, where available, specialized laboratory techniques. In many settings, however, standard diagnostic tools such as eosin-5-maleimide (EMA) binding or osmotic gradient ektacytometry are not easily accessible, and practical quantitative approaches may be useful. In this study, erythrocyte membrane protein levels were measured in 20 children with HS and 20 healthy controls using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for ankyrin, α-spectrin, β-spectrin, band 3, and protein 4.2. Levels of α-spectrin, β-spectrin, and protein 4.2 were significantly lower in HS patients compared with controls (p=0.014, 0.008, and 0.034, respectively), whereas ankyrin and band 3 showed no significant differences. Discriminant analysis yielded 75% sensitivity and 75% specificity for distinguishing HS from controls. ELISA demonstrated group-level differences in multiple erythrocyte membrane proteins in pediatric HS. While not intended to replace guideline-endorsed methods, this practical and quantitative approach may be valuable in settings where standard diagnostic tools are not easily available. Further studies with larger cohorts are warranted to clarify its diagnostic contribution.

Key words: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), hereditary spherocytosis, pediatrics