Evaluation of some biochemical parameters in sickle cell anaemia patients in Benin city, Edo-state, south-South, Nigeria

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) patients are prone to electrolyte imbalance and derangement of other biochemical parameters which may add to the morbidity and mortality associated with sickle cell anaemia.
MATERIALS\METHODS: Two hundred subjects were recruited for this study; one hundred sickle cell anaemia patients and one hundred age and sex matched healthy control subjects without sickle cell anaemia. Venous blood was obtained from each participant and analyzed for the various biochemical assays using standard laboratory techniques.
RESULTS: The mean age of the sickle cell anaemia patients was 24.8±6.4 years, with 56% of them being males and 44% females. About 30% of the SCA patients had hyperkalaemia (6.1±072mmol/L), and 70% had normal potassium values. The sickle cell anaemia patients had significantly high potassium, (4.76±0.66 and 3.72±0.84mmol/L), Bilirubin (1.18±0.46 and 0.48±0.32mgld/L) and Uric acid (5.66±5.84 and 4.56±2.76mgld/L) values than the control subjects, while the urea values were significantly higher in the control subjects than the sickle cell anaemia patients (34.2±6.18 and 26.4±8.34) . There was no significant difference in the values of the other biochemical analytes.
CONCLUSION: Sickle Cell anaemia patients in this study had electrolyte imbalance, hyperbilirubinaemia and hyperuricaemia. Further studies on changes in the intracellular concentrations of these ions in SCA patients are required. Such findings could help in enhancing the management of sickle cell anaemia patients with these abnormalities.

Keywords: Sickle Cell anaemia, electrolyte imbalance, hyperkalaemia, hyperuricaemia, hyperbilirubinaemia.