title: Asymmetric dimethylarginine levels in children with sickle cell disease and its correlation to tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is an increasingly recognized life-threatening complication in sickle cell disease (SCD), with associated high mortality in adults. The prevalence of PH in children with SCD is still unknown. The etiology and pathophysiologic mechanisms are still not well understood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the plasma levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) in children with SCD and its correlation with elevated tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity and other hemolytic markers.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was carried out on a cohort of patients (30) with SCD and 30 healthy children as a control group. Certain investigations were carried out for all subjects: CBC, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), ferritin, reticulocytic count, bilirubin, AST, ALT, and plasma levels of ADMA. Doppler echocardiography was carried out for all subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of high tricuspid regurgitant velocity (TRV) was 30% in SCD patients. ADMA mean plasma level was significantly higher in patients than in controls (0.79 ± 0.15 μmol/L and 0.46 ± 0.11 μmol/L, respectively, P < 0.001). ADMA was significantly higher in patients with high TRV than those with normal TRV (1.10 ± 0.11 μmol/L, 0.80 ± 0.06 μmol/L, respectively, P < 0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between ADMA plasma levels and TRV ≥2.5 m/s (r = 0.475).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High plasma ADMA levels may be implicated in the pathogenesis of increased tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity in children with SCD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tanta, Tanta, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El-Shanshory
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Badraia
authors.forename: Amr
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Donia
authors.forename: Faten
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abd El-Hameed
authors.forename: Mokhtar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mabrouk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D014262:Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: C018524:N,N-dimethylarginine; D001120:Arginine