Sarlósejtek

Sarlósejtek, also known as sickle cells, are unusually shaped red blood cells. Unlike the typical biconcave disc shape, sickle cells are crescent or sickle-shaped. This abnormal form is caused by a genetic mutation in the hemoglobin gene. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells responsible for carrying oxygen. The mutation leads to the production of an abnormal type of hemoglobin called hemoglobin S.

When red blood cells containing hemoglobin S release oxygen, the hemoglobin molecules clump together and distort the cell into a sickle shape. These sickle cells are less flexible than normal red blood cells and can block blood flow in small blood vessels. This blockage can lead to pain, organ damage, and other serious health complications. The condition characterized by the presence of sickle cells is known as sickle cell disease.

Sickle cell disease is a hereditary blood disorder. It is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, meaning an individual must inherit two copies of the mutated gene, one from each parent, to have the disease. Individuals who inherit only one copy of the mutated gene are carriers of the sickle cell trait and typically do not experience symptoms, although they can pass the gene on to their children. The prevalence of sickle cell disease is higher in populations with ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa, as well as in parts of the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and India.