Sickle cell trait as a tag for bone marrow transplantation.

The bone mimarrow donors were professional blood donors with normal hematological findings dIl(l negative physical examinations whose red cells showed more than 80 per cent sickling vImen appropriately exatimined. l’he imiethod of obtaining an(l processing the bone imiarrow was essentially that descril)ed by ‘lhoiiias, Lochte and Ferrebee.’ The recipients were 1)atients with neoplastic disease timd, in IIU)St cases, 1)aflcYtol)eniut. Sickle cell studies of the blood of the intended recipients were negative. Sickle cell determinations were I)erforllle(l by the use of sodium metabisulfite, 2 per cent solution ifl (hiStille(l water, freshly prepared. One drop of blood and one drop of sodium metabisulfite were placed 011 a glass side and fluxed with an applicator stick. A cover slip was applied and sealed aix1 the 1)reparation was kept at room temperature for one hour. The number of sickle cells per thousand erythrocytes was then enumerated by oil immersion microscopic examination. Various methods of fixation of sickle cells with formalin were attempted. Although it was possible to fix these cells there was some loss of sickling in all