Serum autoantibodies in patients with sickle cell anemia.

The prevalence of serum autoantibodies was determined in 50 black adult patients with sickle cell anemia, and in 33 age- and sex-matched healthy black individuals. Twenty-seven of the patients (54%) had at least one type of autoantibody, in contrast to only four (18.2%) of the control subjects (P less than .01). Antismooth muscle, antiskeletal muscle and antinuclear antibodies were the most frequently seen autoantibodies. There was no correlation between the presence of autoantibodies and history of hepatitis, number of blood transfusions or concurrent drug therapy. Sickle cell anemia is associated with the induction of autoimmune phenomena.