title: Liver Cirrhosis in a Patient with Sickle Cell Trait (Hb Sβ Thalassemia) without Other Known Causes of Hepatic Disease.
abstract: Liver involvement in patients with sickle cell anemia/trait includes a wide range of alterations, from mild liver function test abnormalities to cirrhosis and acute liver failure. Approximately 15-30% of patients with sickle cell anemia present cirrhosis at autopsy. The pathogenesis of cirrhosis is usually related to chronic hepatitis B or C infection or to iron overload resulting from the many transfusions received by these patients in their lifetime. Thus, cirrhosis has been described almost exclusively in patients with sickle cell anemia, while only mild liver abnormalities have been associated with the sickle cell trait. In the present case study, we describe a young Mediterranean man carrying a sickle cell trait (Hb Sβ(+) thalassemia) who developed liver cirrhosis being negative for hepatitis C and B viruses or for other causes of cirrhosis and not receiving chronic blood transfusions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Santi
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Montanari
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berardi
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Patti
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frigerio
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sama
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caraceni
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bernardi