A Comparison of Erythrocyte Characteristics in Sickle Cell Syndromes in Jamaica

Abstract

S ummary . Red‐cell characteristics were studied in the steady state in three sickle‐cell syndromes, homozygous sickle‐cell disease (SS), sickle‐cell/haemoglobin‐C disease (SC), and sickle‐cell/β‐thalassaemia (S/thal). Hb‐SC disease had the highest haemoglobin levels, red cell counts, and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentrations, all of which may contribute to the high thrombotic tendency noted in this disease. The two types of S/thal (with and without Hb A) generally had different haematological features. The non‐Hb‐A type of S/thal, which may resemble SS disease on electrophoretic techniques and present a diagnostic problem, was distinguishable on many red cell characteristics reported here.