Sickle Cell Disease

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Sickle Cell is a disease that affects many people in the world today. It is the number one genetic disorder in the United States. Sickle Cell is deficient hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is what functions in providing oxygen to the cells in the body. The sickle shape comes from the atypical hemoglobin s molecules. Hemoglobin molecules are composed of two different parts called the alpha and beta. The beta subunit of the hemoglobin molecule has a mutation in gene, on chromosome 11 which produces the change in the red blood cell shape causing them to die and not reproduce accurately. The change in shape causes the red blood cells to get stuck in the blood vessels and block the effectiveness of oxygen transport causing pain and organ damage to the body. This disease does not have a cure and some common treatments are used to help patients live with the disease. Some treatment options are antibiotics (penicillin) to prevent infections, blood transfusions, folic acid that help produces new blood cells. These are just some of the current treatments for Sickle Cell.

Some of our population may be more at risk then others due to the ethnic background. This diseases is more prominent in some races more than others and studies have shown where the numbers increase or decrease depending on the race. Decedents of Africa, India, the Mediterranean, South and Central America and the Caribbean have a higher percentage of diagnoses. Countries who are exposed to the malaria parasite have the higher number of Sickle Cell cases. The percentage of African Americans with sickle cell is about 1 in 500 and a percentage 1 in 1,000 to 1,400 in Hispanic Americans. People of Caucasian race are less likely to have the diseases because of the history of the d...

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...ronchoscopy is necessary to identify any type of infection in the body. Corticosteroids are used as a remedy for sickle cell patients; it is administered thru the vein and can help reduce the amount of time a patient spends in Stem Cell treatment is another option being looked at as an option for Sickle cell patients. A study conducted in UCLA by Dr. Donald Kohn where the hematopoietic blood from Bone marrow is used to treat Sickle cell Patients. The treatment was provided by introducing the non-sickle cell gene into the hematopoietic stem cell which will help produce healthy red blood cells versus the sickle cells. The blood used for this treatment comes from the actual person carrying the mutated gene and then its re introduced into the hematopoietic stem cell (bone marrow) with the possibility of renewing and multiplying healthy new red blood cells. hospital.

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