Sickle cell disease affects millions of people worldwide. It is most common among people whose ancestors come from Africa; Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Turkey, and Italy; the Arabian Peninsula; India; and Spanish-speaking regions in South America, Central America, and parts of the Caribbean.
Sickle cell disease is the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States, affecting an estimated 100,000 Americans. The disease is estimated to occur in 1 in 500 African Americans and 1 in 1,000 to 1,400 Hispanic Americans.
Causes
Mutations in the HBB gene cause sickle cell disease. The HBB gene provides instructions for making one part of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin
In people with sickle cell disease, at least one of the beta-globin subunits in hemoglobin is replaced with hemoglobin S. In sickle cell anemia [also called homozygous sickle cell disease], which is the most common form of sickle cell disease, hemoglobin S replaces both beta-globin subunits in hemoglobin. In other types of sickle cell disease, just one beta-globin subunit in hemoglobin is replaced with hemoglobin S. The other beta-globin subunit is replaced with a different abnormal variant, such as hemoglobin C. For example, people with sickle-hemoglobin C [HbSC] disease have hemoglobin molecules with hemoglobin S and hemoglobin C instead of beta-globin. If mutations that produce hemoglobin S and beta thalassemia occur together, individuals have hemoglobin S-beta thalassemia [HbSBetaThal] disease.
Abnormal versions of beta-globin can distort red blood cells into a sickle shape. The sickle-shaped red blood cells die prematurely, which can lead to anemia. Sometimes the inflexible, sickle-shaped cells get stuck in small blood vessels and can cause serious medical complications.
Learn more about the gene associated with Sickle cell disease
- HBB
Inheritance
This condition is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern
Other Names for This Condition
- HbS disease
- Hemoglobin S disease
- SCD
- Sickle cell disorders
- Sickling disorder due to hemoglobin S
Additional Information & Resources
Genetic Testing Information
- Genetic Testing Registry: Hb SS disease
Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center
- Sickle cell anemia
Patient Support and Advocacy Resources
- Disease InfoSearch
- National Organization for Rare Disorders [NORD]
Research Studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
- ClinicalTrials.gov
Catalog of Genes and Diseases from OMIM
- SICKLE CELL ANEMIA
Scientific Articles on PubMed
- PubMed
References
- Ashley-Koch A, Yang Q, Olney RS. Sickle hemoglobin [HbS] allele and sickle cell disease: a HuGE review. Am J Epidemiol. 2000 May 1;151[9]:839-45. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a010288. Citation on PubMed
- Gladwin MT, Sachdev V, Jison ML, Shizukuda Y, Plehn JF, Minter K, Brown B, Coles WA, Nichols JS, Ernst I, Hunter LA, Blackwelder WC, Schechter AN, Rodgers GP, Castro O, Ognibene FP. Pulmonary hypertension as a risk factor for death in patients with sickle cell disease. N Engl J Med. 2004 Feb 26;350[9]:886-95. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa035477. Citation on PubMed
- Powars DR, Chan LS, Hiti A, Ramicone E, Johnson C. Outcome of sickle cell anemia: a 4-decade observational study of 1056 patients. Medicine [Baltimore]. 2005 Nov;84[6]:363-376. doi: 10.1097/01.md.0000189089.45003.52. Citation on PubMed
- Schnog JB, Duits AJ, Muskiet FA, ten Cate H, Rojer RA, Brandjes DP. Sickle cell disease; a general overview. Neth J Med. 2004 Nov;62[10]:364-74. Citation on PubMed
- Serjeant GR. The emerging understanding of sickle cell disease. Br J Haematol. 2001 Jan;112[1]:3-18. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2141.2001.02557.x. No abstract available. Citation on PubMed
- Stuart MJ, Nagel RL. Sickle-cell disease. Lancet. 2004 Oct 9-15;364[9442]:1343-60. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736[04]17192-4. Citation on PubMed
- Vichinsky E. New therapies in sickle cell disease. Lancet. 2002 Aug 24;360[9333]:629-31. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736[02]09776-3. Citation on PubMed
- Vichinsky EP. Pulmonary hypertension in sickle cell disease. N Engl J Med. 2004 Feb 26;350[9]:857-9. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp038250. No abstract available. Citation on PubMed
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