Assessment of some haemolysis biomarkers in steady state sickle cell anaemia patients in Kano, Northern Nigeria.

Abstract

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) have been associated with extravascular and intravascular haemolysis. However, scanty information is available on the levels of haemolysis parameters in this condition, hence; the assessment of some of the haemolysis biomarkers in steady state sickle cell anaemia patients was carried out. Forty-five sickle cell anaemia patients (23 males and 22 females) in steady state with age range of 10-24 years from the Sickle Cell Clinic of Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano and 30; age-matched apparently healthy individuals (HbAA subjects) resident in Kano metropolis were recruited for this study between October 2018 and September, 2019. The blood samples collected from the participants were estimated for packed cell volume (PCV), haptoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and total bilirubin using standard techniques. The study showed significantly lower PCV and haptoglobin levels of 0.24±0.04 l/l and 11.99±7.65ng/ml, respectively, and significantly higher LDH and total bilirubin values of 506.82±263.35 U/L and 54.67±27.18 µmol/L, respectively, in steady state SCA patients compared to the values of control group (HbAA subjects) of 0.38±0.03 l/l and 20.01±18.26 ng/ml, respectively, and 329.57±129.33 U/L and 10.27±4.27 µmol/L, respectively (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in the values of PCV, haptoglobin, LDH and total bilirubin with respect to age and gender in steady state SCA patients (p?0.05). The levels of some haemolysis biomarkers (PCV, haptoglobin, LDH and total bilirubin) were significantly affected in steady state SCA irrespective of age and gender. Therefore, the significant changes of these haemolysis biomarkers can serve as a guide to the clinicians in the management of SCA patients.