Alternative titles and symbols : Sickle cell anemia;
Description : Sickle cell anemia is a multisystem disease associated with episodes of acute illness
and progressive organ damage. Hemoglobin polymerization, leading to erythrocyte rigidity
and vasoocclusion, is central to the pathophysiology of the disease, but the importance
of chronic anemia, hemolysis, and vasculopathy has been established. The most common
cause of sickle cell anemia is the HbS variant (141900.0243), with hemoglobin SS disease
being most prevalent in Africans (review by Rees et al., 2010).;
Inheritance : Autosomal recessive;
Molecular basis : Caused by mutation in the hemoglobin beta gene (HBB, 141900.0243);