Informed consent was obtained from each patient or guardian/parent of a minor prior to enrollment. SCA status was confirmed by a positive sickling test[13] and cellulose acetate electrophoresis of βs-hemoglobin at pH 8.6 compared to the controls: HBAA, HBAS, HBSS and HBSC[13]. Each presenting SCA patient was clinically examined by the attending physician coupled with laboratory evidence to ascertain the state of the disease