Elevated IL-1α and CXCL10 serum levels occur in patients with homozygous sickle cell disease and a history of acute splenic sequestration.
Acute splenic sequestration (ASS) and chronic hypersplenism are common features of homozygous sickle cell (SS) disease in the first 5 years of life affecting one-third of subjects in the Jamaican Cohort Study. The risk factors are largely unknown and the current study explores a possible role of genetic factors. We have explored these in subjects who received splenectomy in the management of ASS (n=8) or chronic hypersplenism (n=9) along with age, gender, and genotype matched controls using Luminex Technology to assess 42 human cytokines/chemokines, including IL-1α and CXCL10 (IP-10). Levels of IL-1α (p=0.008) and CXCL10 (p=0.009) were significantly elevated in patients treated by splenectomy compared with the control group. Levels of IL-1α were significantly higher in those with a history of ASS compared with matched normal controls (p=0.028) but not in those treated for hypersplenism (p=0.093). Furthermore, several significant differences were found in the median ratios of some cytokine biomarkers between the splenectomized group and the normal controls. These observations are consistent with acute splenic sequestration having a distinct phenotype which may be helpful in predicting those at risk of this complication and suggest that the mechanism of these differences merit further study.
Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. adel@weboris.com
Adel
A
Driss
Nana O
NO
Wilson
Karlene
K
Mason
Hyacinth I
HI
Hyacinth
Jacqueline M
JM
Hibbert
Graham R
GR
Serjeant
Jonathan K
JK
Stiles
D000328:Adult; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000601:surgery; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10 / Q000097:blood*; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D053582:Interleukin-1alpha / Q000097:blood*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013156:Splenectomy; D013158:Splenic Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000601:surgery
D015415:Biomarkers; C114753:CXCL10 protein, human; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10; D053582:Interleukin-1alpha