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Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a genetic disorder characterized by severe hemolytic anemia, frequent vaso-occlusive events and infections. In tropical environment, people are continuously in contact with infection agents. The present study was undertaken to measure 10 protein parameters in order to test humoral immunity, nutrition status and the relation between inflammation and hemolysis in sickle cell anemia patients in 45 Congolese sickle cell children (15 females and 30 males, median age: 7 yrs) and a control group of 43 well healthy congolese group (18 females, 25 males; median age 18 yrs). Mean values for immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM, IgA), nutrition proteins (albumin, transthyretin and transferrin) and inflammatory and hemolysis markers (C3, CRP, A1GP: alpha1-Glycoprotein acid and haptoglobin) were compared between two groups. Hyperstimulation of humoral immunity was observed in the SCA group. Most significative difference was found with IgA (p0,001). Intravascular hemolysis was illustrated by a significant decrease of the haptoglobin/A1GP ratio, and was constantly present in SCA patients. We also described a significative decrease (p0,001) of haptoglobin/A1GP ratio between SCA patients with inflammatory syndrom when compared to those without inflammation. All data confirm that haemolysis is quite linked to inflammation in SCA. In addition, nutrition parameters were significantly decreased in SCA group vs healthy congolese group.

The presence of alpha-foeto-protein (A.F.P.) was sought in the serum of 520 patients, suffering from various digestive disorders, using two methods: double immuno-diffusion and counter immuno-electrophoresis on cellogel--a more sensitive technique. A.F.P. was detected on 90 of the 520 patients. A.F.P. was measured by radial immunodiffusion or by electro-immunodiffusion on cellogel. Study of the values obtained in various kinds of hepatic disorders indicates that high levels (more than 10 mg/1) are seen almost solely in association with primary carcinoma of the liver, whilst lower levels (less than 10 mg/1) are found in the majority of hepatic disorders, without having any precise significance. The interest of the clinician should therefore be directed not towards the presence or absence of A.F.P. but to its level, which alone is significant.

The electroimmunodiffusion on agarose has been applied for the determination of AFP in human serum. The proposed method can be used for concentrations between 0.6 and 50 mg/l; the reproducibility was judged to be acceptable. For concentrations higher than 10 mg/l, a good correlation was observed between electroimmunodiffusion and radial immunodiffusion.