Hemoglobin S
and Sickle Cell
Hemoglobin S is a variant form of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells, and it is the direct cause of sickle cell disease. Sickle cell disease is a condition in which red blood cells become rigid and sickle shaped. Sickled cells have less oxygen carrying capability and may have a shorter life than normal blood. Not only does this condition impact patient health but also impacts facilities such as blood banks, which need to ensure their supply of normal blood. Screening for Hemoglobin S is an effective indicator that the blood carries the sickle cell trait or disease.
A Growing Need for Accessible Sickle Cell Screening
Globally, the number of individuals living with sickle cell disease is roughly 7.74 million, an increase of about 41% from 5.46 million in 2000.1 Having a screening test that does not require any instrumentation is critical, as sickle cell disease tends to impact less developed areas that have limited access to modern health care.
1. GBD 2021 Sickle Cell Disease Collaborators. Global, regional, and national prevalence and mortality burden of sickle cell disease, 2000–2021. The Lancet Haematology, June 2023. View the study →
Sickle Cell Screening
for Blood Banks
and Donor Centers
Blood banks and donor centers focus on infectious disease testing, but as sickle cell prevalence rises, so does the need to screen donor units for Hemoglobin S before release, since sickle trait–positive units are typically withheld from at-risk recipients such as newborns and patients with sickle cell disease. Most sickle cell screening tests are not compatible with the anti-coagulants that blood banks utilize nor are they compatible with the cell populations that blood banks screen for.
That usually means testing packed red cells from a unit segment, in anti-coagulants and additive solutions that blood banks and donor centers generally use that many Hemoglobin S screening tests are not validated for.
SICKLEDEX® is a Hemoglobin S screening test built for blood bank and donor center workflows:
- Validated for packed red cells Many other screening tests are not validated for packed red cells.
- Approved for the anti-coagulants that blood banks generally use EDTA, ACD, CPD, CPDA-1, CPDA-2, CP2D, sodium citrate and heparin so laboratories can keep their collection protocol.
Where QC Creates Confidence
To ensure the results of sickle cell screening, it is best practice to perform quality control to help ensure patient results that may be compromised during the test preparation process. For example, errors may have occurred during the reconstitution step, or the solution may have been compromised due to environmental factors. A compatible quality control ensures confidence in your testing and the results that impact patient care.
Complete Sickle Cell Testing Solution
Meet all of your sickle cell testing needs by combining SICKLEDEX Hemoglobin S solubility testing with Sickle-Chex® quality control, supporting a complete solution built around blood bank workflows, from sample to result. SICKLEDEX uses only 20 µL of patient sample and is packaged with two separate squeeze bottles for easy dispensing and elimination of waste, with results in as little as 6 minutes. Sickle-Chex is ready to use and is packaged in squeeze dropper vials to eliminate the need for pipetting.
Does Your Sickle Cell Test Stack up?
Compare the SICKLEDEX to the Hemoglobin S test you’re using now. SICKLEDEX is validated for packed red cells, approved across eight anticoagulants, and built to handle an EDTA tube in place of a segment. Download our IFU and compare it side-by-side with yours.
WHAT OUR LABEL NAMES
SICKLEDEX by the numbers
100%
sensitivity and specificity
verified by testing 166 samples (137 negative, 29 positive).
3
sample types named
Whole blood, packed cells, and blood bank segments containing whole blood or packed cells with additive solutions.
2
additive solutions addressed
AS-1 and AS-3, used for blood banking, are validated not to affect SICKLEDEX results.
Products
IVD · FDA Cleared
SICKLEDEX
Solubility screening kit validated across eight anticoagulants. No pipetting, results in as little as 6 minutes.
IVD · FDA Cleared
Sickle-Chex
Positive and negative whole blood control. No reconstitution or pipetting, in squeeze dropper vials, handled like a patient sample.
Resources
IFU
Instructions for Use
Current package inserts, the sickle test protocol template and certificates of conformance by lot.
Application
Sickle Cell Trait Testing in Athletes
Why sickle cell trait screening has become standard practice in athletic programs, and what a result changes.
Guidance
APHL and CDC Hemoglobinopathy Testing
Current practices for screening, confirmation and follow-up, including the limits of solubility testing.
FAQ
Top Questions About SICKLEDEX
Anticoagulant compatibility, kit configurations, read times and the role of the control, answered in one place.
Partner With Streck
Leading instrument manufacturers partner with Streck to provide their customers with dependable third-party quality controls. Streck is the leader in cell stabilization for over 50 years and continues to manufacture and develop high performing controls.
- Sophisticated R&D to rapidly develop products
- Advanced QC, with barcoded solutions and included ILQC program for increased value
- Highly trained technical and sales support
