Or register here
Global Search

Trusted Resources: Evidence & Education

Scientific literature and patient education texts

Back to Evidence & Education / Abstracts & Posters

Hydroxyurea Shows Clinical Benefit without Alteration of Fetal Hemoglobin, MCV, or Hemoglobin in Unselected Adult and Pediatric Patients with Sickle Cell Anemia

key information

source: American Society of Hematology

year: 2015

authors: Crawford John Strunk, Biree Andemariam, Fredericka Sey, Fatimah Farooq, Rebekah Urbonya, Charles Antwi-Boasiako, Adetola A. Kassim, Onike Rodrigues, Connie M. Piccone, Angela Rivers, Deepa Manwani, Imma Tartaglione, Laura Sainati, Raffaella Colombatti, Andrew D. Campbell

summary/abstract:

Introduction:
Sickle cell anemia is the most common single gene defect in the United States, affecting approximately 100,000 individuals (Hassel Am J Prev Med 2010). It is characterized by chronic hemolysis, unpredictable vaso-occlusive episodes (VOEs), and chronic organ damage leading to early death in patients affected by the disorder. Hydroxyurea, a small molecule chemotherapeutic agent, has been used to treat patients with severe sickle cell disease since 1984 (Brawley Ann Intern Med 2008). Two randomized controlled trials, the Multicenter Study of Hydroxyurea (Charache N Engl J Med 1995) in adults and the Baby HUG trial (Wang Lancet 2011) in children, showed that hydroxyurea reduced the number of VOEs and hospital admissions, while simultaneously increasing hemoglobin and fetal hemoglobin in patients with sickle cell anemia. The goal of this study was to determine the clinical effectiveness of hydroxyurea in reducing the number VOEs and hospitalizations in unselected patients with sickle cell anemia.

Methods:
The CASIRE group is an international multi-institutional collaborative group evaluating the clinical severity of patients with sickle cell anemia through a validated questionnaire, chart review and laboratory studies. Patients were enrolled on the CASIRE study after informed consent and assent was obtained from either the parent or patient when appropriate. The study was approved at each participating institution’s IRB. A questionnaire was answered by the parents and/or patient, and baseline and current laboratory studies were collected. Patients were stratified into those who were not on hydroxyurea, and those who were currently on hydroxyurea. Number of VOEs, admissions, baseline and current fetal hemoglobin, and change in hemoglobin and MCV were compared.

Results:
There were 349 patients in this study (134 on hydroxyurea). Baseline laboratory data are reported in table 1. Hemoglobin level and MCV were not statistically different in patients prior to and after taking hydroxyurea (table 2). Fetal hemoglobin in adults increased 2.7 times baseline, whereas in children it was unchanged. All patients on hydroxyurea had a reduction of VOEs, ED visits and admissions compared to prior to hydroxyurea (see table 3)

organization: ProMedica Toledo Children's Hospital; University of Connecticut Health Center; Ghana Institute of Clinical Genetics; Ghana. Korle Bu Teaching Hospital; University of Michigan; University of Ghana Medical School; Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville; Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland; University of Illinois at Chicago; Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago; Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx

read more

Related Content

To improve your experience on this site, we use cookies. This includes cookies essential for the basic functioning of our website, cookies for analytics purposes, and cookies enabling us to personalize site content. By clicking on 'Accept' or any content on this site, you agree that cookies can be placed. You may adjust your browser's cookie settings to suit your preferences. More Information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close

© 2024 rareLife solutions Inc.

To improve your experience on this site, we use cookies. This includes cookies essential for the basic functioning of our website, cookies for analytics purposes, and cookies enabling us to personalize site content. By clicking on 'Accept' or any content on this site, you agree that cookies can be placed. You may adjust your browser's cookie settings to suit your preferences. More Information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close