[Sickle cell anemia (HBSS) in an adult patient from Tanzania]

There is a description of an observation of patient N., aged 29, (a student of Russian University for Peoples' Friendship and a citizen of Tanzania) suffering from sickle-cell anemia--SCA--(HbSS), homozygous type, which was detected at screening of abnormal Hb by electrophoresis on the cellulose acetate strips. The results of clinical-and-biological examinations of the patients are described. The patient had anemia (Hb 98-83 g/L); thrombotic (pain) crises with dark urination were periodically observed. HbS accounted for the bulwark (98%) of Hb, while small fractions of Hb (HbF and HbA2) were within the normal limits. This was a comparatively mild form of the disease; the patient had minor changes in the heart and lungs with other internal bodies being intact. Patient N. received, from childhood, an appropriate therapy including antibiotics, folic acid, analgesics etc. Obviously, this provides for an explanation to that he lived up to 29 years, withstood the acclimatization in Russia and could get education. A comparison of the clinical-and-laboratory indices of patient N. with the data of patients with SCA of other types (HbS-thalassemia, HbSC and HbSK) is presented.