Techniques for the Detection of Sickle Cell Disease: A Review

Abstract

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a widespread disease caused by a mutation in the beta-globin gene that leads to the production of abnormal hemoglobin called hemoglobin S. The inheritance of the mutation could be homozygous or heterozygous combined with another hemoglobin mutation. SCD can be characterized by the presence of dense, sickled cells that causes hemolysis of blood cells, anemia, painful episodes, organ damage, and in some cases death. Early detection of SCD can help to reduce the mortality and manage the disease effectively. Therefore, different techniques have been developed to detect the sickle cell disease and the carrier states with high sensitivity and specificity. These techniques can be screening tests such as complete blood count, peripheral blood smears, and sickling test; confirmatory tests such as hemoglobin separation techniques; and genetic tests, which are more expensive and need to be done in centralized labs by highly skilled personnel. However, advanced portable point of care techniques have been developed to provide a low-cost, simple, and user-friendly device for detecting SCD, for instance coupling solubility tests with portable devices, using smartphone microscopic classifications, image processing techniques, rapid immunoassays, and sensor-based platforms. This review provides an overview of the current and emerging techniques for sickle cell disease detection and highlights the different potential methods that could be applied to help the early diagnosis of SCD.