TY - JOUR T1 - Creatine kinase activity in sickle cell disease. JF - Journal of Clinical Pathology JO - J Clin Pathol SP - 712 LP - 715 DO - 10.1136/jcp.42.7.712 VL - 42 IS - 7 AU - B J Hunt AU - P Korsah AU - S Eaton AU - M Brozovic Y1 - 1989/07/01 UR - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/42/7/712.abstract N2 - Creatine kinase activity was measured in 28 patients in the steady state of sickle cell disease and ranged from 4-45 IU/l, comparable with that found in healthy adult caucasians. Creatine kinase activity was also measured in 14 patients admitted consecutively for the treatment of vaso-occlusive sickle cell crises. Creatine kinase activity remained within the normal range in eight of these 14 patients throughout their admission; none had muscle pain or a chest syndrome. In the remaining six, three with muscle pain and three with a chest syndrome, increased activity was found on one or more days. A further 17 patients with vaso-occlusive sickle cell crises, associated with muscle pain, were studied. Creatine kinase activity was significantly raised in all 17, the mean creatine kinase activity for men was 578.8 IU/l and 210.6 IU/l for women, with the highest values (up to 1790 IU/l) found in those who had exercised before admission. Measurement of creatine kinase activity may therefore be a useful marker of muscle perturbation due to sickling. ER -