Sickle Cell Anemia, a Molecular Disease
Abstract
The erythrocytes of certain individuals possess the capacity to undergo reversible changes in shape in response to changes in the partial pressure of oxygen. When the oxygen pressure is lowered, these cells change their forms from the normal biconcave disk to crescent, holly wreath, and other forms. This process is known as sickling. About 8 percent of American Negroes possess this characteristic; usually they exhibit no pathological consequences ascribable to it. These people are said to have sicklemia, or sickle cell trait. However, about 1 in 40 (4) of these individuals whose cells are capable of sickling suffer from a severe chronic anemia resulting from excessive destruction of their erythrocytes; the term sickle cell anemia is applied to their condition.
Additional Information
© 1949 American Association for the Advancement of Science. This research was carried out with the aid of a grant from the United States Public Health Service. The authors are grateful to Professor Ray D. Owen, of the Biology Division of this Institute, for his helpful suggestions. We are indebted to Dr. Edward R. Evans, of Pasadena, Dr. Travis Winsor, of Los Angeles, and Dr. G. E. Burch, of the Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, for their aid in obtaining the blood used in these experiments. Based on a paper presented at the meeting of the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D. C., in April, 1949, and at the meeting of the American Society of Biological Chemists in Detroit in April, 1949.Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 84275
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20180111-150728139
- NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship
- U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS)
- National Research Council
- Created
-
2018-01-12Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2021-11-15Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Other Numbering System Name
- Gates and Crellin Laboratories of Chemistry
- Other Numbering System Identifier
- 1333