Blood, 1959, Vol. 14, No. 9, pp. 1047-1056.
© 1959 American Society of Hematology, Inc.
Plasma Hemoglobin-Binding Capacity in
Sickle Cell Disease
WILLOUGHBY LATHEM 1 and
WALLACE N. JENSEN 1
1 Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Studies of the capacity of plasma proteins to bind hemoglobin were made
in patients with sickle cell anemia (SS), sickle cell trait (SA), hemoglobin
C disease and in patients with hemolytic anemias. Hemoglobin binding was
quantitatively normal in sickle cell trait, but was greatly reduced or absent
in sickle cell anemia, hemoglobin C disease and in other hemolytic disorders.
These alterations have been attributed to a reduction in the level of hemoglobin-binding proteins in circulating plasma. The mechanism of this reduction was not established, but the observed changes were correlated with the
presence of increased hemolytic activity.
The binding of hemoglobin C and hemoglobin S by normal plasma was
quantitatively normal.
Submitted on October 25, 1958
Accepted on December 12, 1958
