Erythrocyte sialic acid in human sickle-cell disease.

Membrane-bound erythrocyte surface sialic acid concentrations in sickle-cell human patients (SS) and in control patients with sickle-cell trait (AS) and normal genes (AA) were assayed. The erythrocyte sialic acid concentration was significantly (P less than 0.001) higher in sickle-cell patients than in non-sicklers and although the concentration was higher in AS than AA individuals the difference was not significant (P greater than 0.