Acute phase reactants and haematological alterations in children with sickle cell disease

Abstract EN

A prospective study was conducted on a hundred and thirty two paediatric patients with sickle cell disease who were admitted to Qateef Central Hospital between January 1st 1992 through December 31st 1992.

Twenty eight patients had documented bacterial infection (Group A), and out of these, 11 had osteomyelitis, 9 had chest infection, 1 had urinary tract infection, 1 had salmonella septicaemia and 6 had acute follicular tonsilitis.

One hundred and four patients (Group B) had painful vaso-oclusive crisis.

In group A, the mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 50mm/h, while it was 29min/h in Group B, (P < 0.01).

The means of absolute band cell count of both groups were 1300/ul and 480/ul respectively (P < 0.01).

The C-reactive protein was significantly positive in 12 patients in Group A (42%), while it was positive in only 9 patients (8.6%) in Group B (P < 0.01).

The mean age group A was 6.4 year, while it was 8 years in Group B (P < 0.001).

There was no significant difference between both groups in their mean admission temperature, total leukocyte count and absolute neutrophil count.

Children with sickle cell disease are at a high risk of acquiring bacterial infections responsible for significant mortality1,2'3.

In Saudi Arabia, particularly the Eastern Province, sickle cell disease is a common health problem4,5.

In children with sickle cell disease, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between painful vaso-oclusive crisis and infections because of similar symptom aetiology and plain film radiography3,6,7.

Acute phase reactants such as C-reactive protein, C3 and other have been used as laboratory indication for presence of infection but the results are controversial8.