Sickle Cell Disease: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63995/KRPR3602Keywords:
Anemia; Hemoglobin S; Hydroxyurea; Pain Management; Sickle Cell Crises; Stem Cell TransplantAbstract
Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a hereditary blood disorder caused by a mutation in the hemoglobin-beta gene found on chromosome 11. This mutation results in the production of abnormal hemoglobin, known as hemoglobin S, which can cause red blood cells to assume a sickle or crescent shape. These misshapen cells are prone to clumping and blocking blood flow in small blood vessels, leading to various complications. The symptoms of SCD typically begin in early childhood and include episodes of severe pain, known as sickle cell crises, which occur when blood flow is obstructed. Other symptoms include anemia, fatigue, swelling in the hands and feet, frequent infections, and delayed growth. Chronic complications can affect the organs, leading to issues such as stroke, acute chest syndrome, organ damage, and leg ulcers. Treatment for SCD focuses on managing and alleviating symptoms, preventing complications, and extending the patient's life. Pain management, blood transfusions, and hydroxyurea, a medication that reduces the frequency of pain episodes and acute chest syndrome, are commonly used treatments. Bone marrow or stem cell transplants offer the potential for a cure but are only suitable for a subset of patients due to the associated risks and the need for a compatible donor. Ongoing research aims to develop gene therapies and new drugs to improve the quality of life for those affected by this challenging disease.
Downloads
References
Ernest Beutler. “The sickle cell diseases and related disorders”. In: Williams hematology 5 (2001), pp. 616–45.
Samir K Ballas. “Sickle cell anaemia: progress in pathogenesis and treatment”. In: Drugs 62 (2002), pp. 1143–1172. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00003495-200262080-00003
Susan Claster and Elliott P Vichinsky. “Managing sickle cell disease”. In: Bmj 327.7424 (2003), pp. 1151–1155. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.327.7424.1151
George R Buchanan, Michael R DeBaun, Charles T Quinn, and Martin H Steinberg. “Sickle cell disease”. In: ASH Education program book 2004.1 (2004), pp. 35–47. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/asheducation-2004.1.35
Baba PD Inusa, Lewis L Hsu, Neeraj Kohli, Anissa Patel, Kilali Ominu-Evbota, Kofi A Anie, and Wale Atoyebi. “Sickle cell disease—genetics, pathophysiology, clinical presentation and treatment”. In: International journal of neonatal screening 5.2 (2019), p. 20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijns5020020
JB Schnog, AJ Duits, FA Muskiet, H Ten Cate, RA Rojer, and DP Brandjes. “Sickle cell disease; a general overview”. In: Neth J Med 62.10 (2004), pp. 364–74.
Marie J Stuart and Ronald L Nagel. “Sickle-cell disease”. In: The Lancet 364.9442 (2004), pp. 1343–1360. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(04)17192-4
Russell E Ware, Mariane de Montalembert, Léon Tshilolo, and Miguel R Abboud. “Sickle cell disease”. In: The Lancet 390.10091 (2017), pp. 311–323. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)30193-9
Nesim Yilmaz, Tuncer Demir, Safak Kaplan, and Sevilin Demirci. “Demystifying Big Data Analytics in Cloud Computing”. In: Fusion of Multidisciplinary Research, An International Journal (FMR) 1.1 (2020), pp. 25–36. DOI: https://doi.org/10.63995/DOPV8398
Gregory J Kato, Frédéric B Piel, Clarice D Reid, Marilyn H Gaston, Kwaku Ohene-Frempong, Lakshmanan Krishnamurti, Wally R Smith, Julie A Panepinto, David J Weatherall, Fernando F Costa, et al. “Sickle cell disease”. In: Nature reviews Disease primers 4.1 (2018), pp. 1–22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrdp.2018.10
David C Rees, Thomas N Williams, and Mark T Gladwin. “Sickle-cell disease”. In: The Lancet 376.9757 (2010), pp. 2018–2031. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61029-X
Martin H Steinberg. “Sickle cell anemia, the first molecular disease: overview of molecular etiology, pathophysiology, and therapeutic approaches”. In: The Scientific World Journal 8.1 (2008), pp. 1295–1324. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1100/tsw.2008.157
Elliott P Vichinsky, Lynne D Neumayr, Ann N Earles, Roger Williams, Evelyne T Lennette, Deborah Dean, Bruce Nickerson, Eugene Orringer, Virgil McKie, Rita Bellevue, et al. “Causes and outcomes of the acute chest syndrome in sickle cell disease”. In: New England Journal of Medicine 342.25 (2000), pp. 1855–1865. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM200006223422502
MR DeBaun, LC Jordan, AA King, J Schatz, E Vichinsky, CK Fox, RC McKinstry, P Telfer, MA Kraut, L Daraz, et al. “American Society of Hematology 2020 guidelines for sickle cell disease: prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cerebrovascular disease in children and adults”. In: Blood advances 4.8 (2020), pp. 1554–1588. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/bloodadvances.2019001142
Catherine Booth, Baba Inusa, and Stephen K Obaro. “Infection in sickle cell disease: a review”. In: International Journal of Infectious Diseases 14.1 (2010), e2–e12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2009.03.010
Elizabeth A Manci, Donald E Culberson, Yih-Ming Yang, Todd M Gardner, Randall Powell, Johnson Haynes Jr, Arvind K Shah, Vipul N Mankad, and Investigators of the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease. “Causes of death in sickle cell disease: an autopsy study”. In: British journal of haematology 123.2 (2003), pp. 359–365. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2141.2003.04594.x
J Makani, SF Ofori-Acquah, O Nnodu, A Wonkam, and K Ohene-Frempong. “Sickle cell disease: new opportunities and challenges in Africa”. In: The scientific world journal 2013.1 (2013), p. 193252. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/193252
Friedrich Stephanie and Louisa Karl. “Incorporating Renewable Energy Systems for a New Era of Grid Stability”. In: Fusion of Multidisciplinary Research, An International Journal (FMR) 1.1 (2020), pp. 37–49. DOI: https://doi.org/10.63995/UVPR3703
Jon I Scheinman. “Sickle cell disease and the kidney”. In: Nature clinical practice Nephrology 5.2 (2009), pp. 78–88. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpneph1008
Gael J Lonergan, David B Cline, and Susan L Abbondanzo. “Sickle cell anemia”. In: Radiographics 21.4 (2001), pp. 971–994. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1148/radiographics.21.4.g01jl23971
Sharl Azar and Trisha E Wong. “Sickle cell disease: a brief update”. In: Medical Clinics 101.2 (2017), pp. 375–393. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mcna.2016.09.009
Gabriel Salinas Cisneros and Swee L Thein. “Recent advances in the treatment of sickle cell disease”. In: Frontiers in physiology 11 (2020), p. 513588. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2020.00435
AK Siddiqui and S Ahmed. “Pulmonary manifestations of sickle cell disease”. In: Postgraduate medical journal 79.933 (2003), pp. 384–390. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/pmj.79.933.384
Enrico M Novelli and Mark T Gladwin. “Crises in sickle cell disease”. In: Chest 149.4 (2016), pp. 1082–1093. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2015.12.016
Jo Howard. “Sickle cell disease: when and how to transfuse”. In: Hematology 2014, the American Society of Hematology Education Program Book 2016.1 (2016), pp. 625–631. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/asheducation-2016.1.625
Jimeno Estanislau, Federico Hermogenes, and Bernardo Clemente. “Battery Energy Transformation and Unravelling the Thermodynamics of Energy Storage and Conversion”. In: Fusion of Multidisciplinary Research, An International Journal (FMR) 2.1 (2021), pp. 122–135.
Melissa Creary, Dhelia Williamson, and Roshni Kulkarni. “Sickle cell disease: current activities, public health implications, and future directions”. In: Journal of women’s health 16.5 (2007), pp. 575–582. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2007.CDC4
Elliott Vichinsky. “New therapies in sickle cell disease”. In: The Lancet 360.9333 (2002), pp. 629–631. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(02)09776-3
Julie Kanter and Rebecca Kruse-Jarres. “Management of sickle cell disease from childhood through adulthood”. In: Blood reviews 27.6 (2013), pp. 279–287. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.blre.2013.09.001
Samir K Ballas. “Pain management of sickle cell disease”. In: Hematology/Oncology Clinics 19.5 (2005), pp. 785–802. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hoc.2005.07.008
Valentine Brousse, Julie Makani, and David C Rees. “Management of sickle cell disease in the community”. In: Bmj 348 (2014). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g1765
Barbara P Yawn, George R Buchanan, Araba N Afenyi-Annan, Samir K Ballas, Kathryn L Hassell, Andra H James, Lanetta Jordan, Sophie M Lanzkron, Richard Lottenberg, William J Savage, et al. “Management of sickle cell disease: summary of the 2014 evidence-based report by expert panel members”. In: Jama 312.10 (2014), pp. 1033–1048. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2014.10517
Manuel André, João Margarida, Heitor Garcia, and Augusto Dante. “Complexities of Blockchain Technology and Distributed Ledger Technologies: A Detailed Inspection”. In: Fusion of Multidisciplinary Research, An International Journal (FMR) 2.1 (2021), pp. 164–177. DOI: https://doi.org/10.63995/PMDT9612
Jeffrey A Switzer, David C Hess, Fenwick T Nichols, and Robert J Adams. “Pathophysiology and treatment of stroke in sickle-cell disease: present and future”. In: The Lancet Neurology 5.6 (2006), pp. 501–512. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(06)70469-0
Catherine Madigan and Punam Malik. “Pathophysiology and therapy for haemoglobinopathies; Part I: sickle cell disease”. In: Expert reviews in molecular medicine 8.9 (2006), pp. 1–23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1462399406010659
Banu Aygun and Isaac Odame. “A global perspective on sickle cell disease”. In: Pediatric blood & cancer 59.2 (2012), pp. 386–390. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.24175
Adrichem De Jong, Mark Jansen, Jeffrey Van Dijk, and Johannes Meyer. “Analysis of Innovative Practices in Advanced Materials and Structural Engineering”. In: Fusion of Multidisciplinary Research, An International Journal (FMR) 2.1 (2021), pp. 178–188.
Richard Lottenberg and Kathryn L Hassell. “An evidence-based approach to the treatment of adults with sickle cell disease”. In: ASH Education Program Book 2005.1 (2005), pp. 58–65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/asheducation-2005.1.58
Graham R Serjeant. “The natural history of sickle cell disease”. In: Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine 3.10 (2013), a011783. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a011783
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
© The Author(s). Published by Fusion of Multidisciplinary Research, An International Journal (FMR), Netherlands.
This is an open-access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution license, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.