Serum angiogenin level in sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia patients.
BACKGROUND
Angiogenesis has been investigated in different kinds of anemia. However, its role as a marker of angiogenesis has not been investigated in thalassemia or sickle cell disease (SCD).


OBJECTIVE
We aimed to investigate serum angiogenin level in children and adolescents with beta thalassemia or SCD and its relation to possible risk factors of angiogenesis.


METHODS
This study included; 32 β-thalassemia major (β-TM) patients aged 14.2 ± 3.8 years, 20 β-thalassemia intermedia (β-TI) patients aged 14.3 ± 4.8 years, 20 SCD patients aged 14.1 ± 2.4 years; 8 with (HbSS) and 12 with sickle thalassemia (HbS/β-thalassemia) and 35 age and sex-matched controls. Data collected regarding; age, sex, disease duration, blood transfusion frequency, transfusion index, chelation type and duration, CBC, Hb electrophoresis, serum ferritin and serum angiogenin level (by ELISA).


RESULTS
Angiogenin level was significantly higher in patients with SCD [250 (100-300) pg/mL] compared to β-TM [180 (140-230) pg/mL] and controls [89 (80-103) pg/mL] (P < .001) especially those with HbSS (P = .06). There was a significant negative correlation between serum angiogenin and age of patients, age of onset and duration of chelation in β-TM (P < .01, P < .001, P = .003) and β-TI (P = .009, P = .03, P < .001) and with serum ferritin in β-TI group (r = -0.573, P = .008). In SCD, angiogenin level was negatively correlated with both frequency of blood transfusion (r = -0.731, P < .001) and duration of hydroxyurea therapy (P = .017).


CONCLUSIONS
High angiogenin level detected among patients with SCD may be negatively influenced by regular blood transfusion and hydroxyurea therapy, while; early onset of chelation therapy may decrease angiogenin level in β-TM.
Department of Pediatrics, Ain Shams University , Cairo , Egypt.
Randa M
RM
Matter
Abeer A
AA
Abdelmaksoud
Manal A
MA
Shams
Ehab K
EK
Bebawy
D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015913:Chelation Therapy; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D006918:Hydroxyurea / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007501:Iron; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D012259:Ribonuclease, Pancreatic / Q000097:blood*; D012805:Sickle Cell Trait / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D013156:Splenectomy; D055815:Young Adult; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery
D006454:Hemoglobins; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron; C046366:angiogenin; D012259:Ribonuclease, Pancreatic; D006918:Hydroxyurea