Possible links between sickle cell crisis and pentavalent antimony.
For over 60 years, pentavalent antimony (Sb(v)) has been the first-line treatment of leishmaniasis. Sickle cell anemia is a disease caused by a defect in red blood cells, which among other things can cause vasooclusive crisis. We report the case of a 6-year-old child with leishmaniasis who during treatment with meglumine antimoniate developed a sickle cell crisis (SCC). No previous reports describing the relationship between antimonial drugs and sickle cell disease were found. Reviews of both the pathophysiology of SCC and the mechanism of action of Sb(v) revealed that a common pathway (glutathione) may have resulted in the SCC. ChemoText, a novel database created to predict chemical-protein-disease interactions, was used to perform a more expansive and systematic review that was able to support the association between glutathione, Sb(v), and SCC. Although suggestive evidence to support the hypothesis, additional research at the bench would be needed to prove Sb(v) caused the SCC.
CIDEIM: Centro Internacional De Entrenamiento E Investigaciones Médicas (International Center for Medical Research and Training), Cali, Colombia. danielgarcerant@hotmail.com
Daniel
D
Garcerant
Luisa
L
Rubiano
Victor
V
Blanco
Javier
J
Martinez
Nancy C
NC
Baker
Noah
N
Craft
D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000150:complications; D000965:Antimony / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D008536:Meglumine; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate; D000965:Antimony; D005978:Glutathione