Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Experimental and Imaging Techniques for Examining Fibrin Clot Structures in Normal and Diseased States
Published on: April 1, 2015
Thrombosis and sickle cell disease
Lucia De Franceschi1, Maria Domenica Cappellini, Oliviero Olivieri
1Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy. lucia.defranceschi@univr.it
Abstract:
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by the presence of sickle hemoglobin, which has the unique property of polymerizing when deoxygenated. The pathophysiology of acute and chronic clinical manifestations of SCD have shown the central role of dense, dehydrated red cells in acute and chronic clinical manifestations of this pathology. Recent studies have indicated that SCD is characterized by a hypercoagulable state that contributes to the vaso-occlusive events in microcirculation, leading to acute and chronic sickle cell-related organ damage. This review discusses, in the context of SCD, (1) abnormalities in the coagulation system, (2) perturbation of platelet activation and aggregation, (3) vascular endothelial dysfunction, (4) the contribution of cell inflammatory responses, and (5) the connection with nitric oxide metabolism. We also review the available studies on the therapeutic approaches in clinical management of hypercoagulability in SCD.
Related Concept Videos
Disorders of Hemostasis
Thromboembolic Disorders
Two factors primarily cause thromboembolic conditions.
Venous Thrombosis I: Introduction
Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins
Pulmonary Embolism I: Introduction
Pulmonary Embolism I: Introduction
Venous Thrombosis II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies
