Sickle Cell Trait (SCT) vs. Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)

Sickle Cell Trait:

Sickle Cell trait (AS) is an inherited condition in which both hemoglobin A and S are produced in the red blood cells. Sickle cell trait is not a type of sickle cell disease. People with sickle cell trait are generally healthy and often do not know that they have it.

Sickle Cell Disease:

Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells. People with sickle cell disease have red blood cells that contain mostly hemoglobin S, an abnormal type of hemoglobin. Sometimes these red blood cells become sickle-shaped (crescent shaped) and have difficulty passing through small blood vessels. When sickle-shaped cells block small blood vessels, less blood can each that part of the body. Tissue that does not receive a normal blood flow eventually becomes damaged. This is what causes the complications of sickle cell disease. There is currently no universal cure for sickle cell disease.

How will I know if I have Sickle Cell Disease or Trait?

A simple blood test, followed by a laboratory technique called Hemoglobin Electrophoresis, will determine the type of hemoglobin you have. When you pass an electric charge through a solution of hemoglobin, distinct hemoglobins move different distances, depending on their composition. This technique differentiates between normal hemoglobin (A), Sickle hemoglobin (S), and other different kinds of hemoglobin (such as C, D, E, etc.). It is important that the testing also includes a complete blood count with assessment of the mean corpuscular volume (MCV).