Abnormal Human Hemoglobins. I. Biosynthesis in Vitro of Fe⁵⁹-Labeled Human Hemoglobin A and Hemoglobin S

The synthesis of Fe⁵⁹ labeled-hemoglobin during incubation of bone marrow from normal and sickle cell anemia (crisis and non-crisis) patients has been investigated. The in vitro synthesis of hemoglobin S in the steady state (noncrisis) sickle cell anemia individual was found to proceed at a much faster rate than the synthesis of hemoglobin A from normal individuals. In the crisis of sickle cell anemia, the uptake of Fe⁵⁹ and synthesis of hemogobin S was approximately at the same level as synthesis of hemoglobin A from the normal individual. The results of this study indicate that one of the mechanisms involved in sickle cell anemia crisis is a decrease in synthesis of hemoglobin S as compared to the synthesis of hemoglobin S during the steady state of noncrisis.