ACUTE-PHASE REACTANTS AND SEVERITY OF HOMOZYGOUS SICKLE-CELL DISEASE

Serum concentrations of seven acute-phase reactants: albumin, transfer rin (Tf), alpha-1-antitrypsin (AIAT), caeruloplasmin (Cp), alpha2-macr oglobulin (alpha2-MG), haptoglobin (hp) and C-reactive protein (CRP) w ere determined in 73 subjects with varying severities of homozygous si ckle cell (HbSS) disease. Fifty healthy subjects of comparable sex, ag e and socio-economic class distributions as the HbSS subjects served a s controls. Albumin and alpha2-MG were comparable in all the subject g roups. Tf and hp levels were significantly reduced in the HbSS groups relative to the control group. Conversely, AIAT. CRP and CP were signi ficantly elevated. However only Tf and CRP manifested significant corr elations with any of the indices of disease severity employed. Transfe rrin and CRP are suggested as plasma proteins worthy of further evalua tion as indicators of severity in homozygous sickle cell disease.