Iron deficiency and sickle cell anemia
In a patient with sickle cell anemia, iron deficiency was accompanied by hypochromic, microcytic RBCs, absence of bone marrow iron, and a low serum ferritin level. The mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) was decreased (27.6 g/dL) and was associated with an extreme scarcity of sickled er...
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Published in | Archives of internal medicine (1960) Vol. 143; no. 5; p. 1030 |
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Main Authors | , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
United States
01.05.1983
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get more information |
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Summary: | In a patient with sickle cell anemia, iron deficiency was accompanied by hypochromic, microcytic RBCs, absence of bone marrow iron, and a low serum ferritin level. The mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) was decreased (27.6 g/dL) and was associated with an extreme scarcity of sickled erythrocytes in blood smears. Iron therapy resulted in reticulocytosis and an increase in sickled erythrocytes. In vitro studies demonstrated a decrease in sickling of erythrocytes as a function of oxygen saturation of the blood when the patient was iron deficient. The whole blood oxygen dissociation curve showed a substantial decrease in oxygen pressure necessary to produce 50% saturation of hemoglobin at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C (P50), indicating an increased oxygen affinity. These data suggest that a reduction of the MCHC induced by iron deficiency may ameliorate sickling. |
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ISSN: | 0003-9926 |
DOI: | 10.1001/archinte.1983.00350050194038 |