We report a case of sickle cell disease (SCD) in a patient who is a carrier for the sickle mutation with no additional mutations in the beta globin genes. Sequencing of the PK-LR genes showed that she was also heterozygous for the L272V mutation in exon 7, which is known to cause pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency. It appeared that sickling in the heterozygous state is related to decreased oxygen affinity associated with PK deficiency in this unusual case.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.