sickle-cell anaemia
Crescent-shaped cell disease
Sickle-cell anaemia is an inherited blood disorder in which red blood cells become crescent-shaped rather than round, causing them to clump and block small vessels.
The condition produces episodes of severe pain, anemia, and organ damage.
It occurs mainly in people of African, Mediterranean, and South Asian descent.
The sickle-cell trait—carrying one copy of the gene—offers some protection against malaria, which explains its prevalence in regions where malaria is endemic.
Also spelled sickle-cell anemia.
- red blood cellsOxygen-transporting components of circulation
- thalassemiaHereditary hemoglobin production defect
- heterozygousHaving unlike gene variants
- mutationPermanent DNA alteration
- genetic disorderAbnormality in inherited code
Africa · sub-Saharan Africa · priapism · codominance · heme · haemolysis · allele · inheritance · fatigue · blood transfusions · jaundice · chronic inflammation · genetic testing · newborn screening · hypoxia · stroke · bone marrow transplant · organ damage
sickle-cell anaemiainfectious disease
Pathogen-caused transmissible ailment
nutritional deficiency · malaria · HIV/AIDS · hepatitis · occupational disease
sickle, anaemia, anemia, sickled, sickling, sickles, celled, cellular, anemic