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Sickle Cell Anemia
Sickle Cell Anemia
Sickle cell anemia is caused by a point mutation in the gene that tells your body to
make the iron-rich compound that gives blood its red colour (haemoglobin). It is located
on the short arm of Chromosome 11. In the mutated DNA sequence, Thymine (T) is
replaced by Adenine (A) in the second position of the triplet. The change in the base
sequence of the DNA results in a codon of the mRNA being altered during transcription.
This fault results in a different amino acid (Valine) to form instead of Glutamic acid. This
causes the body to produce a new form of haemoglobin (HbS) which behave differently
to regular haemoglobin.
The presence of valine in the protein makes the deoxygenated haemoglobin less
soluble. HbS crystallise into rod-like structures. This distorts the normal circular shape of
the red blood cell, causing them to take a rigid, sickle shape. They are stiff, sticky and
tend to block blood flow in the blood vessels of the limbs and organs. This causes pain,
organ damage and also raises the risk of infection.
HbS is passed from generation to generation in a pattern of inheritance called
autosomal recessive inheritance. This means that both the mother and the father must
pass on the defective form of the gene for a child to be affected.
If only one parent passes the sickle cell gene to the child, that child will have sickle
cell trait. With one normal haemoglobin gene and one defective form of the gene, people
with sickle cell trait have both normal haemoglobin and sickle cell haemoglobin. Their
blood might contain some sickle blood cells, but they generally don't have symptoms. But
they are still carriers of the disease, which means they can pass the gene to the next
generation.
Another main point to preventing sickle cell anaemia or any other disease that people
often neglect is the use of alcohol, tobacco and street drugs. They cause addiction and
permanent damage to vital body organs. They also disrupt your life in many ways.
The nicotine in tobacco attaches to haemoglobin. This lowers the oxygen level in your
blood and can cause pain. Smoking tobacco increases the risk of cancer in the lungs,
throat, esophagus, bladder, pancreas and kidneys.
Chewing tobacco and snuff release nicotine into your body, which is absorbed by the
lining of the mouth. In general, it can cause bleeding gums, mouth sores, as well as mouth
cancer.
● Marijuana
Smoking marijuana may increase the risk of cancer more than smoking tobacco.
Marijuana smoke contains 50–70 percent more cancer-causing chemicals than
tobacco smoke.
Within a few minutes of inhaling marijuana smoke, a person’s heart begins
beating more rapidly and the eyes appear red. All marijuana effects can severely
hurt the body of a person with sickle cell disease.
● Cocaine
It is a potent stimulant. It can increase heart rate, breathing rate and blood
pressure. Cocaine increases the risk of major organ damage. It can cause stroke or
even death in people with sickle cell anaemia.
● Crack
It is a solid form of cocaine that is smoked. It has the same effect as cocaine in the
body. It also has risks associated with smoking, including shortness of breath,
chest pains, and lung damage. It is highly addictive.
In addition to the above street drugs, using prescription drugs without your doctor's
advice can lead to addiction, severe damage to the body, and even death.