Sickle Cell Anemia

Sickle Cell Anemia

By Alex Lange & Roy Darrah

Inheritance Pattern

• Parents can be carriers and show no symptoms of the disease.

•Sickle Cell Anemia is a autosomal reccesive pattern.

Mutations

• Mutations in the HBB gene causes Sickle Cell Anemia.

• It consists of four protein subunits, 2 alphaglobins and 2 betaglobins which form a hemoglobin (C,E,S,AS).

• Hemoglobins bind oxygen in a cell, but amino acids can switch with betaglobins making the cell nonfunctional.

Incidences• Sickle Cell Anemia is most common in people

with African, Mediterranean, and Caribbean ancestors.

• Sickle Cell Anemia is most common inherited blood disorder in the US, 70-80 thousand Americans have this disorder.

• 1 in 500 African Americans and 1 in 1000 Hispanic Americans will have this disorder.

Symptoms

• Shortness of breath• Fatigue• Delayed growth in children• Yellowing of the eyes and skin• Cells can get stuck in veins• Organ damage (lungs, kidneys, spleen,

brain)• High blood pressure

Treatments

• There is no cure to Sickle Cell Anemia except for a bone marrow transplant.

Lifetime Limitations

• People can live normal lives• Others should avoid a lot of physical activity due

to the lack of oxygen and cells• Stay away from high altitudes• Ryan Clark plays football for the Steelers and he

has Sickle Cell Anemia. Even though he struggles with extreme exercises and hypoxia from high altitudes.