<prompt> Which of the following has strong affinity for hemoglobin and acts in blood to act as mop-up molecule to bind hemoglobin?FerritinTransferrinHaptoglobinAlbumin  <response>: Ans. c Haptoglobin. Ref. Robbin, Pathology, 7th ed., 624; Harrison, Internal medicine 15th ed., s608Free Hb in plasma is promptly bounded by an alphal globulin, the haptoglobin that acts as mop-up producing a complex that is rapidly cleared by mononuclear phagocyte system, thus preventing excretion in urine; hence in intravascular hemolysis serum haptoglobin is decreased.GENERAL FEATURES OF HEMOLYTIC DISORDERSGeneral examinationJaundice, pallorOther physical findingsSpleen may be enlarged; bossing of skull in severe congenital casesHemoglobinFrom normal to severely reducedMCV, MCHUsually increasedReticulocytesIncreasedBilirubinIncreased mostly unconjugatedLDHIncreased up to 10X normal with intravascular hemolysisHaptoglobinReduced to absent 