Serum homocysteine and disease severity in sickle cell anemia patients in Lagos
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Date
2019
Authors
Uche, E
Adelekan, O
Akinbami, A
Osunkalu, V
Ismail, K
Ogbenna, A.A
Badiru, M
Dosunmu, A
Oluwole, E
Kamson, O
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Blood Medicine
Abstract
Purpose: Hypercoagulability in sickle cell anemia (SCA) may be responsible for the increased development of vascular occlusion in certain organs as well as acute pain episodes. The causes of hypercoagulability in SCA are multifactorial and include raised homocysteine levels. This study, therefore, aimed to determine serum homocysteine levels in SCA patients in steady state and to correlate its levels with SCA disease severity.
Patients and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study done among SCA patients in steady state attending the Haematology Clinic of the Lagos State University Teaching
Hospital (LASUTH). Matched age and sex HbAA controls were also recruited. Serum
homocysteine of each participant was done with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and
disease severity score assessed in every SCA patient using clinical and laboratory
parameters.
Results: The mean value for homocysteine in the study group (SCA patients) was 19.80
±19.75 μmol/L whilst that of the control group was 9.16±4.29 μmol/L. Thirty-nine out of 96
(46.6%) SCA patients had elevated homocysteine levels (>15 μmol/L) whilst all 96 participants
in the control group had normal homocysteine levels. The difference in the means in
the two groups was statistically significant with p=0.001. Majority (62.5%) of the SCA
patients had a mild disease (severity score ≤3). There was a significant correlation between
serum homocysteine levels and disease severity scores with p=0.04; χ2=4.04.
Conclusion: Homocysteine levels were significantly higher in HbSS patients compared with
matched HbAA controls and showed a positive correlation with disease severity scores in the
SCA patients.
Description
Scholarly article
Keywords
sickle cell anemia, , disease severity, , homocysteine
Citation
Uche, E., Adelekan, O., Akinbami, A., Osunkalu, V., Ismail, K., Ogbenna, A.A., Badiru, M., Dosunmu, A., Oluwole, E. and Kamson, O. (2019). Serum homocysteine and disease severity in sickle cell anemia patients in Lagos. Journal of Blood Medicine. 10 127–134