Blood
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The pathophysiology of the occurrence and resolution of sickle cell crisis is unknown. The molecular abnormality is constant, while crisis is episodic. ⋯ Recovery from sickle crisis is associated with an increased filterability of the circulating red cell and a decreased susceptibility of the red cell to sickle with deoxygenation (p less than 0.05). The possibility that these changes are responsible for the resolution of crisis is suggested.