Objectives: Sickling cell disorder is an umbrella term comprising all pathologies that arise due to the presence of sickle hemoglobin (HbS). HbS has been reported to cause several changes to the red blood cells, leading to the development of different clinical syndromes. This study aimed to assess the associated risks in school-going children with sickling cell disorder in a steady state. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) for 6 months (March–July 2019), and samples were collected from patients visiting NPHL for hemoglobinopathies diagnosis. A total of 60 case subjects and 50 age- and sex-matched control subjects were included in this study. Following laboratory investigation, the data were analyzed using a statistical package for the social sciences software. Analysis of variance and Student’s t -test were used to compare case and control subjects, and a P < 0.05 at 95% confidence interval was considered statistically significant. Results: School-aged sickling cell disorder patients showed a significant difference in the level of hemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume, mean cell volume, mean cell hemoglobin concentration, red cell distribution width-coefficient of variation, and platelets. The level of triglyceride ( P = 0.000) was significantly higher, while the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( P = 0.012) was significantly lower in sickling cell disorder patients, suggesting an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Likewise, the levels of total bilirubin, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase were also significantly increased in sickling cell disorder patients, indicating an increased risk for liver disease. Conclusion: This study suggested an increased risk for liver and cardiovascular disease in school-aged children with sickling cell disorder in steady state.
Pandit et al. (Sat,) studied this question.