What is sickle cell trait characterized by?
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a rare blood disorder that is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. It is characterized by the presence of sickle, or crescent-shaped, red blood cells (erythrocytes) in the bloodstream.
How do you know if you have sickle cell trait?
Sickle Cell Trait Diagnosis Your doctor can order a blood test to see if you carry the sickle cell trait. Prenatal testing can tell if your baby has sickle cell disease or carries the sickle cell gene. Newborn screening programs require that every state in the U.S. test babies for SCD or the trait shortly after birth.
Why do red blood cells look like sickle cell disease?
Sickle cell disease affects the red blood cells. People with SCD have defective hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of red blood cells. This impaired hemoglobin causes the red blood cells, which are normally flattened disks, to become crescent shaped. The cells look like a sickle, a tool used in farming. That’s where the name comes from.
Can a person have sickle cell trait if they have one normal gene?
People who have inherited one sickle cell gene and one normal gene have SCT. This means the person won’t have the disease, but will be a trait “carrier” and can pass it on to his or her children.
What are the different types of sickle cell disease?
HbSD, HbSE, and HbSO. People who have these forms of SCD inherit one sickle cell gene (“S”) and one gene from an abnormal type of hemoglobin (“D”, “E”, or “O”). Hemoglobin is a protein that allows red blood cells to carry oxygen to all parts of the body. The severity of these rarer types of SCD varies.
How does sickle cell disease affect the body?
Sickle Cell Disease. A person with sickle cell disease makes a different kind of hemoglobin called “sickle” hemoglobin. Instead of being round and smooth, cells with sickle hemoglobin become hard and sticky and look like a banana or a sickle. These cells have trouble moving through small blood vessels.
What are the side effects of the sickle cell trait?
Sickle cell anemia can lead to a host of complications, including: Stroke. Sickle cells can block blood flow to an area of your brain. Signs of stroke include seizures, weakness or numbness of your arms and legs, sudden speech difficulties, and loss of consciousness.
Can a person with sickle cell trait get cancer?
Renal medullary carcinoma is extremely rare and it is not currently possible to predict those individuals with sickle cell trait who will eventually develop this cancer.
Who is affected by sickle cell trait?
Sickle cell trait (SCT) affects 1 in 12 African Americans in the United States. SCT is most common among African Americans, but can be found among people whose ancestors come from sub-Saharan Africa; the Western Hemisphere (South America, the Caribbean, and Central America); Saudi Arabia; India;
What is the difference between sickle cell and blood cell?
The key difference between normal red blood cell and sickle cell is that normal red blood cells are round in shape , while sickle cells are distorted red blood cells having a sickle shape. Red blood cells are a major component in our blood. These cells carry oxygen throughout our body. They also transport and remove carbon dioxide from our body.