Nitroblue tetrazolium test in patients with sickle-cell anemia.

Forty-four patients who had sickle-cell anemia were examined to evaluate the reliability and usefulness of the nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) test. The patients with sickle-cell anemia in painful crisis with bacterial infection often had low percentages of NBT reduction or negative results. The NBT test did not differentiate well between sickle-cell anemia with bacterial infection and without bacterial infection.