Plasma protein precipitation and comparative analysis of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) samples using SDS-PAGE

Abstract

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited autosomal recessive hereditary disorder caused by a mutation in the beta-globin gene leading to the production of abnormal haemoglobin-S which causes normal blood cells to ‘sickle’ by facilitating the polymerization of deoxygenated sickle haemoglobin. The condition imparts acute chest syndrome, vasoocclusive crisis, chronic haemolysis, pulmonary hypertension, edema and splenic sequestration in SCD individuals. Blood plasma from six patients diagnosed with SCD was collected, proteins were precipitated by acetone/TCA method and quantified through standard procedures. The quantified proteins were subjected to electrophoresis for the separation of proteins to observe the differences across protein band pattern in each sample.