Skip to main content
British Medical Journal logoLink to British Medical Journal
. 1968 Jul 13;3(5610):86–91. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5610.86

Relatively Benign Sickle-cell Anaemia in 60 Patients Aged Over 30 in the West Indies

G R Serjeant, R Richards, P R H Barbor, P F Milner
PMCID: PMC1986086  PMID: 4232783

Abstract

A study in Jamaica of 60 patients with sickle-cell anaemia over the age of 30 years showed that most of them were in full-time employment. Pains in the bones or joints, leg ulceration, and jaundice were the most frequent types of presentation, but only two patients had a haemoglobin level consistently below 6 g./ 100 ml. Most of the patients were well developed and of average height, and, though the development of secondary sexual characteristics was delayed, there was an average of 2.6 pregnancies per patient. These findings suggest that the course is more benign than has been realized.

Full text

PDF
86

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. ALLISON A. C. Notes on sickle-cell polymorphism. Ann Hum Genet. 1954 Jul;19(1):39–51. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-1809.1954.tb01261.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. ALLISON A. C. Sickle-cell anaemia and haemoglobin C. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1956 May;50(3):185-96; discussion, 197-203. doi: 10.1016/0035-9203(56)90023-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. ALLISON A. C. The distribution of the sickle-cell trait in East Africa and elsewhere, and its apparent relationship to the incidence of subtertian malaria. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1954 Jul;48(4):312–318. doi: 10.1016/0035-9203(54)90101-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. ALLISON A. C. The sickle-cell and haemoglobin C genes in some African populations. Ann Hum Genet. 1956 Jul;21(1):67–89. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. ANDERSON M., WENT L. N., MACIVER J. E., DIXON H. G. Sicklecell disease in pregnancy. Lancet. 1960 Sep 3;2(7149):516–521. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(60)91544-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. BAINTON D. F., FINCH C. A. THE DIAGNOSIS OF IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA. Am J Med. 1964 Jul;37:62–70. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(64)90212-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. BEACHAM W. D., BEACHAM D. W. Sickle-cell disease and pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1950 Dec;60(6):1217–1228. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(50)90003-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. BEALE R. N., BOSTROM J. O., TAYLOR R. F. Improved rapid methods for the determination of iron content and binding capacity of serum. J Clin Pathol. 1962 Mar;15:156–160. doi: 10.1136/jcp.15.2.156. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. BOGOCH A., CASSELMAN W. G., MARGOLIES M. P., BOCKUS H. L. Liver disease in sickle cell anemia; a correlation of clinical, biochemical, histologic and histochemical observations. Am J Med. 1955 Oct;19(4):583–609. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(55)90348-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. CHARACHE S., RICHARDSON S. N. PROLONGED SURVIVAL OF A PATIENT WITH SICKLE CELL ANEMIA. Arch Intern Med. 1964 Jun;113:844–849. doi: 10.1001/archinte.1964.00280120044009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. COMER P. B., FRED H. L. DIAGNOSIS OF SICKLE-CELL DISEASE BY OPHTHALMOSCOPIC INSPECTION OF CONJUNCTIVA. N Engl J Med. 1964 Sep 10;271:544–546. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196409102711105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. GOODMAN G., VON SALLMANN L., HOLLAND M. G. Ocular manifestations of sickle-cell disease. AMA Arch Ophthalmol. 1957 Nov;58(5):655–682. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1957.00940010673005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. GOODWIN J. F., ABDIN Z. H. The cardiogram of congenital and acquired right ventricular hypertrophy. Br Heart J. 1959 Oct;21:523–544. doi: 10.1136/hrt.21.4.523. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. HILKOVITZ G., JACOBSON A. Hepatic dysfunction and abnormalities of the serum proteins and serum enzymes in sickle-cell anemia. J Lab Clin Med. 1961 Jun;57:856–867. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Huisman T. H., Dozy A. M. Studies on the heterogeneity of hemoglobin. IX. The use of Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethanehcl buffers in the anion-exchange chromatography of hemoglobins. J Chromatogr. 1965 Jul;19(1):160–169. doi: 10.1016/s0021-9673(01)99434-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. ITANO H. A. Solubilities of naturally occurring mixtures of human hemoglobin. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1953 Nov;47(1):148–159. doi: 10.1016/0003-9861(53)90444-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. JACOB G. F. A study of the survival rate of cases of sickle-cell anaemia. Br Med J. 1957 Mar 30;1(5021):738–739. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5021.738. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. KLION F. M., WEINER M. J., SCHAFFNER F. CHOLESTASIS IN SICKLE CELL ANEMIA. Am J Med. 1964 Nov;37:829–832. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(64)90031-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. LATHE G. H., RUTHVEN C. R. Factors affecting the rate of coupling of bilirubin and conjugated bilirubin in the van de Bergh reaction. J Clin Pathol. 1958 Mar;11(2):155–161. doi: 10.1136/jcp.11.2.155. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. LEHMANN H., RAPER A. B. Maintenance of high sickling rate in an African community. Br Med J. 1956 Aug 11;2(4988):333–336. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.4988.333. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. LEHMANN H. Sickle-cell anaemia and sickle-cell trait as home- and heterozygous gene-combinations. Nature. 1951 Jun 9;167(4258):931–933. doi: 10.1038/167931a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. LEWTHWAITE C. J. A trial of chemoprophylaxis in sicklecell anaemia. Preliminary communication. East Afr Med J. 1962 May;39:196–199. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. MACIVER J. E., WENT L. N. Further observations on abnormal haemoglobins in Jamaica. West Indian Med J. 1958 Jun;7(2):109–122. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. MARGOLIES M. P. Sickle cell anemia; a composite study and survey. Medicine (Baltimore) 1951 Dec;30(4):357–433. doi: 10.1097/00005792-195112000-00003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. MARSDEN P. D., BLACKMAN V. SOME UNUSUAL PATIENTS WITH SICKLE-CELL DISEASE IN UGANDA. East Afr Med J. 1964 Jul;41:305–313. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. NEEL J. V. The population genetics of two inherited blood dyscrasias in man. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol. 1950;15:141–158. doi: 10.1101/sqb.1950.015.01.017. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. PATON D. The conjunctival sign of sickle-cell disease. Arch Ophthalmol. 1961 Jul;66:90–94. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1961.00960010092020. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. PATON D. The conjunctival sign ox sickle-cell disease. Further observations. Arch Ophthalmol. 1962 Nov;68:627–632. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1962.00960030631010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. SASS M., SPEAR P. W. Whole blood transaminase levels in anemia. J Lab Clin Med. 1958 Jun;51(6):926–934. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. SHAPER A. G., SHAPER L. Analysis of medical admissions to Mulago Hospital, 1957. East Afr Med J. 1958 Dec;35(12):647–678. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. SINGER K., CHERNOFF A. I., SINGER L. Studies on abnormal hemoglobins. I. Their demonstration in sickle cell anemia and other hematologic disorders by means of alkali denaturation. Blood. 1951 May;6(5):413–428. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. TROWELL H. C., RAPER A. B., WELBOURN H. F. The natural history of homozygous sickle-cell anaemia in Central Africa. Q J Med. 1957 Oct;26(104):401–422. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. UZSOY N. K. CARDIOVASCULAR FINDINGS IN PATIENTS WITH SICKLE CELL ANEMIA. Am J Cardiol. 1964 Mar;13:320–328. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(64)90447-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. VANDEPITTE J. M., PIETERS G. Un cas de sickle-cell anaemia chez une jeune adulte congolaise; possibilités du diagnostic de laboratoire. Ann Soc Belg Med Trop (1920) 1952 Jun;32(3):281–288. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. VANDEPITTE J. Present-day aspects of the sickle-cell problem. Doc Med Geogr Trop. 1955 Jun;7(2):154–163. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. WENT L. N., MACIVER J. E. Sickle-cell anaemia in adults and its differentiation from sickle-cell thalassaemia. Lancet. 1958 Oct 18;2(7051):824–826. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(58)90378-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. WENT L. N., MACIVER J. E. Thalassemia in the West Indies. Blood. 1961 Feb;17:166–181. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Walshe M. M., Milner P. F. The management of leg ulcers in sickle cell anaemia. West Indian Med J. 1967 Mar;16(1):10–16. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. ZARAFONETIS C. J., JOSEPH R. R., McMASTER J. D., KALAS J. P. Osmolarity of gastric secretions in sicklemic individuals. J Lab Clin Med. 1961 Apr;57:600–603. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Medical Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES