Prevalence of the sickle cell trait in an athletic West African population.

The prevalence of the sickle cell trait in a school for elite young athletes in Cameroon, West Africa, was examined in order to evaluate whether the choice of an athletic career was influenced by its presence. The presence of hemoglobin AS was found in 27 of the 145 students attending the school (18.6%). Since the frequency of the sickle cell trait in the general Cameroonian population is 17.3%, we conclude that its presence is not a determinant factor involved in the choice of a professional sportive activity.