title: Insights into age- and sickle-cell-disease-interaction using principal components analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the context of sickle cell anemia, peripheral blood indexes provide key information that is also potentially influenced by age. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the extent and nature of interactions between sickle cell anemia and age, especially in situations where there is a high prevalence of sickle cell anemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional study of 374 subjects with varying hemoglobin S (HbS) status, we characterized the interaction between age and sickle hemoglobin using principal components analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Factor analysis in subjects with hemoglobin AA identified three orthogonal factors--normal erythropoiesis, presence of thalassemia and the aggregability potential of the blood. These three factors were differentially associated with hemoglobin status. Age influenced the association of factors #2 and #3 with hemoglobin status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that the interaction between age and hemoglobin status needs to be considered in both clinical and public health settings.
authors.affiliation: Indira Gandhi Government Medical College, Nagpur, India.
authors.forename: Mamta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Lata Medical Research Foundation, Nagpur, India.
authors.forename: Manju R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Mamtani
authors.affiliation: Lata Medical Research Foundation, Nagpur, India.
authors.forename: Manik
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amin
authors.affiliation: Lata Medical Research Foundation, Nagpur, India.|Department of Integrative Physiology, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Tushar P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Thakre
authors.affiliation: Indira Gandhi Government Medical College, Nagpur, India.
authors.forename: Smita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Lata Medical Research Foundation, Nagpur, India.
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amin
authors.affiliation: Lata Medical Research Foundation, Nagpur, India.
authors.forename: Hemant
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kulkarni