What Is the Genotype of People Who Have the Genetic Conditions Sickle Cell Disease?

Question by Jordon: what is the genotype of people who have the genetic conditions sickle cell disease?

Best answer:

Answer by Dave Dingleberry
those who have their origins in the african ‘malaria belt’ as it affords some protection against this – it is an evolutionary advantage. there is a similar, much smaller genotype in europe who have greater protection against bubonic plague.

Answer by Lauren
Treatment

Many parents have wasted both time and money pursuing treatments that promised a cure for their children. But presently there is no cure for sickle-cell anemia; it is a lifelong disorder. There are, however, simple things that can be done to minimize the frequency of crises, and there are ways to deal with them when they happen.

When a crisis occurs, parents should give their child plenty of water to drink. They can also give a mild pain-relieving drug. Severe pain may require stronger drugs that can be obtained only from a doctor. Sadly, though, sometimes even powerful drugs bring little relief. There is no need to panic, however. In almost all cases, after a few hours or days, the pain subsides and the patient recovers.

Scientists are searching for drugs to help treat the disorder. Early in 1995, for example, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in the United States announced that the drug hydroxyurea reduced by half the frequency of painful crises in sickle-cell patients. It is thought to do this by preventing red blood cells from changing their shape and clogging the blood vessels.

Such drugs are not readily available everywhere, nor are they helpful in every situation. And despite the well-known dangers, doctors in Africa and elsewhere regularly administer blood transfusions to treat sickle-cell patients in emergency situations.

Prevention of Crises

“We tell patients to drink plenty of water to help prevent crises,” says Alumona, a genetic counselor at the sickle-cell center. “Water makes it easier for blood to flow in the vessels of the body. Adults with sickle-cell anemia should drink three to four quarts of water every day. Children, of course, will drink less. We teach children with sickle-cell anemia to carry water bottles to school. Teachers should understand that these children may more often ask to be excused to relieve themselves. Parents should know that these children might wet their beds more often than those who do not have the disorder.”

Since illness can cause a dangerous crisis, those with sickle-cell anemia need to work hard to maintain good health. They can do this by maintaining personal cleanliness, by avoiding prolonged strenuous activity, and by eating a balanced diet of good food. Doctors also recommend that the diet be reinforced by multivitamins and folic acid.

In areas where malaria is common, those with sickle-cell anemia are wise to protect themselves, both by avoiding mosquito bites and by taking drugs to protect against the disease. Since malaria destroys red blood cells, it can be particularly dangerous to a person with sickle-cell anemia.

Those with sickle-cell anemia should also have regular medical checkups. Any infections, illnesses, or injuries should receive prompt medical attention. By carefully following such guidelines, it is possible for many with sickle-cell anemia to live normal, happy lives.

How It Is Passed On to Children

Tope has sickled cells

To understand how the disease is passed on from parents to their children, we need to know about blood genotypes. A blood genotype is different from a blood group; a genotype has to do with the genes. Most people have a blood genotype called AA. Those who inherit an A gene from one parent and an S gene from the other parent have an AS blood genotype. People with AS blood do not have sickle-cell anemia, but they can pass the disorder on to their offspring. People who inherit an S gene from one parent and another S gene from the other parent have an SS blood genotype, the genotype of sickle-cell anemia.

Thus, for a child to inherit SS-type blood, he or she must inherit the defective S gene from each parent. Just as it takes two people to have a baby, it takes two people to pass on sickle-cell anemia. Usually, the disorder is passed on when both parents have AS-type blood. When a person with AS-type blood marries another person with AS-type blood, there is a 1 in 4 chance that any child born to them will have SS-type blood.

This does not mean that if they have four children, one will have sickle-cell anemia and the other three will not. While it might be that one of the four is SS, it could also happen that two, three, or even all four of them are SS. It could also happen that none of the children are SS.

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