Sickled erythrocytes, hyphema, and secondary glaucoma: II. Injected sickle cell erythrocytes into human, monkey, and guinea pig anterior chambers: the induction of sickling and secondary glaucoma.

Injection of sickle cell erythrocytes (SS, SC, Sthal, and AS) into the anterior chambers of living human, monkey, and guinea pig eyes resulted in conversion of erythrocytes to the sickled configuration. Immune responses did not appear to play an important role in influencing this phenomenon. The number of cells sickled was directly related to the concentration of hemoglobin S. In human and monkey eyes, the severity of elevated IOP appeared to be related to the type of cells injected and their concentration of hemoglobin S. Even the ordinarily benign genotype of sickle cell trait demonstrated sickling in the anterior chamber and elevation of the IOP.