RED-CELL GENETIC-DISORDERS AND PLASMA-LIPIDS

To study the plasma lipid levels in patients with red cell genetic dis orders, we investigated 400 normal individuals, 100 sickle cell diseas e (SCD) patients, 220 sickle cell heterozygotes (Hb AS), and 100 indiv iduals suffering from glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) defic iency, Whole blood samples were used for the determination of haematol ogical parameters and red cell indices, and plasma was used for the es timation of plasma lipids using Autoanalyser American Monitor 'Paralle l'. Haemoglobin types in the haemolysates were separated by electropho resis and G-6-PD activity was determined using kits from Boehringer Ma nnheim GmbH. The results from males and females were analysed separate ly. In each group cholesterol levels were slightly higher in the male population, while the reverse was true for triglyceride. Sickle cell d isease patients had significantly (P < 0.05) lower cholesterol level c ompared to the normal individuals. In the Hb AS and Ga-PD deficient gr oups no significant differences were encountered. Multiple regression analysis between cholesterol and haematological parameters showed a st atistically significant positive correlation (P<0.01) between plasma c holesterol and total haemoglobin in each group, particularly in the si ckle cell disease patients. The results suggest that increased utiliza tion or decreased production may account for the lower cholesterol lev el in severely anaemic patients, particularly those with sickle cell a naemia.