Sickle cell disease: loss of the blood's WD40?
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by malformed erythrocytes and results in many vascular complications, including the lysis of a minor proportion of these cells, liberating free hemoglobin, which is a potent scavenger of nitric oxide (NO). SCD involves inflammatory activation, including the upregulation of vascular coagulation. Because NO possesses important anti-coagulant and anti-adhesion properties, the increased scavenging of NO in SCD undoubtedly is a major contributor to the pathology of this disease.
Lancaster
Jack R
JR
Center for Free Radical Biology, Department of Anesthesiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA. doctorno@uab.edu
D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*
D006454:Hemoglobins; D009569:Nitric Oxide