Functional characteristics of red cells of sickle cell anemia patients with and without α-thalassemia-2

✍ Scribed by Dr. E. C. Abraham; T. H. J. Huisman

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1980
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 345 KB
• Volume: 8
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0361-8609
• DOI: 10.1002/ajh.2830080202

✦ Synopsis

Oxygen equilibrium curves, red cell indices, 2,3-DPG levels, and the percentages of ISC and Hb F were determined for red cell fractions isolated by Dextran 40 density gradient centrifugation from blood of a sickle cell anemia (SS) patient, an SS patient with an additional homozygosity for ct-thalassemia-2, and a normal control. In the SS patient, the MCHC and Ps0 values increased and 2,3-DPG levels decreased with an increase in red cell density; the P50 values were directly related t o the MCHC values and inversely related t o the 2,3-DPG levels. The bottom fraction contained about 80% ISC, and had the highest MCHC and P50 values and the lowest 2,3-DPG level. In the SS a-thalassemia-2 patient, a decrease in the Pso value corresponded with a decrease in 2,3-DPG levels because no change in MCHC value was observed. The bottom fraction contained about 10% ISC and had the lowest P50 value. These data confirm that both MCHC and 2,3-DPG levels influence the oxygen affinity of SS red cells; an increase in MCHC decreases the oxygen affinity t o a great extent while a concomitant decrease in 2,3-DPG level partially abolishes this effect.