The tendency for sickle cells to adhere to each other is increased in oxygenated sickle blood in parallel with cell density. The increased adherence of these cells occurred despite their reduced deformability and diminished ability to form rouleaux. Using a method developed in our laboratory, we measured the yield stress: a sensitive index of cell-cell adhesion of deoxygenated suspensions of si...

Pain is the most common symptom in sickle cell disease (SCD) patients [1]. In acute setting, SCD may have painful crises that require hospitalization [2]. However, these also ...

By JAMES V. NEEL, PH.D., M.D., HARVEY A. ITANO, PH.D., M.D., AND JOHN S. LAWRENCE, M.D. I N RECENT YEARS our knowledge of the etiology of sickle cell disease has increased considerably. As a rule, both parents of a child with this disease show the sickle cell trait. This has led to the hypothesis that usually sickle cell disease is due to homozygosity for a gene which, when heterozygous, result...

Sickle cell disease is an inherited, structural hemoglobin defect with multisystemic sequelae including renal failure. Patients with sickle cell disease are thought to benefit from renal transplant, but the long-term outcomes in such patients are unclear and have not been supported by any large prospective studies. Similarly, the renal morbidity and outcome after transplant in patients with sic...

Pegfilgrastim (Neulasta) is a recombinant filgrastim (human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)) attached to a polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecule and is given as part of chemotherapy regimens that are associated with significant myelosuppression and risk for febrile neutropenia. Prescribing information available on manufacturer's website for the drug warns us about possible severe sic...

BACKGROUND: Asthma and sickle cell disease are common conditions that both may result in pulmonary complications. We hypothesized that children with sickle cell disease with concomitant asthma have an increased incidence of vaso-occlusive crises that are complicated by episodes of acute chest syndrome. METHODS: A 5-year retrospective chart analysis was performed investigating 48 children ages 3...

By JAMES V. NEEL, PH.D., M.D., HARVEY A. ITANO, PH.D., M.D., AND JOHN S. LAWRENCE, M.D. I N RECENT YEARS our knowledge of the etiology of sickle cell disease has increased considerably. As a rule, both parents of a child with this disease show the sickle cell trait. This has led to the hypothesis that usually sickle cell disease is due to homozygosity for a gene which, when heterozygous, result...

heterozygous and homozygous states to explain the symptomless sickle cell trait and the true sickle cell anaemia. An individual receiving the haemoglobin S gene from one parent only (the heterozygous state A/S) would have the sickle cell trait, whereas if the gene should be received from both parents (the homozygous state 5/5) he would have sickle cell anaemia (Fig. I). Sickle cell anaemia and ...

Haematuria is a well-known complication of sickle cell disease. A South African coloured patient with repeated episodes of gross haematuria is described in whom the diagnosis of sickle cell disease was suggested after the finding of sickled erythrocytes in the urine sediment. The diagnosis was then confirmed by haemoglobin electrophoresis, which revealed sickle cell trait (Hb-AS). It is conclud...

Carbon monoxide (CO) has anti-inflammatory properties. We previously reported that acute treatments with inhaled CO inhibit vascular inflammation and hypoxia-induced vasoocclusion in sickle cell disease mouse models. Therefore, we hypothesized that chronic CO inhalation would decrease vascular inflammation and organ pathology in a sickle cell disease mouse model. The treatment of sickle cell di...