Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt.
Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt.
Pediatr Res. 2023 Mar;93(4):918-923. doi: 10.1038/s41390-021-01892-x. Epub 2021 Dec 11.
Hydroxyurea (HU) has beneficial effects in the management of sickle cell anemia (SCA), but there is a paucity of data on the effect of HU on immune cells in SCA. Herein we aimed to evaluate the effect of HU on immune profiles of Egyptian children with SCA.
This was a controlled prospective cohort study conducted in 30 children with SCA and 30 healthy age-matched controls. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate lymphocyte profiles, including CD8+ T, CD19+ B, CD3+, CD4+, natural killer (NK), NK T, T helper 1 (Th1), Th2, T cytotoxic (Tc1), and Tc2 cells, prior to and after 1 year of treatment with HU.
HU treatment led to significant increases in hemoglobin (Hb), red blood cell, and hematocrit counts and a significant decrease in the percentage of sickle Hb, with subsequent improvement in SCA complications. Compared with baseline values, CD3+, CD4+, Th1, and CD8+ T cells were significantly increased, while NK, Th2, and Tc2 cells were significantly decreased, with a resulting increase in the Th1/Th2 and Tc1/Tc2 ratios.
HU has the beneficial effect of restoring the abnormally elevated immune parameters in children with SCA.
Hydroxyurea treatment restores the abnormal immune parameters in children with sickle cell anemia. HU treatment led to significantly increased CD3+, CD4+, Th1, and CD8+ T cells, while NK, Th2, and Tc2 cells were significantly decreased, with a resulting increase in the Th1/Th2 and Tc1/Tc2 ratios. Our study showed the impact of HU therapy on immune parameters in children with SCA.
羟基脲 (HU) 在镰状细胞贫血 (SCA) 的治疗中具有有益的效果，但关于 HU 对 SCA 免疫细胞的影响的数据很少。在此，我们旨在评估 HU 对埃及 SCA 儿童免疫谱的影响。
这是一项在 30 名 SCA 儿童和 30 名年龄匹配的健康对照者中进行的对照前瞻性队列研究。采用流式细胞术评估淋巴细胞谱，包括 CD8+T、CD19+B、CD3+、CD4+、自然杀伤 (NK)、NK T、辅助性 T 细胞 1 (Th1)、Th2、细胞毒性 T (Tc1)和 Tc2 细胞，在 HU 治疗 1 年前和治疗 1 年后进行。
HU 治疗导致血红蛋白 (Hb)、红细胞和血细胞比容计数显著增加，镰状血红蛋白的百分比显著降低，随后改善了 SCA 并发症。与基线值相比，CD3+、CD4+、Th1 和 CD8+T 细胞显著增加，而 NK、Th2 和 Tc2 细胞显著减少，导致 Th1/Th2 和 Tc1/Tc2 比值增加。
HU 具有恢复 SCA 儿童异常升高的免疫参数的有益作用。
羟基脲治疗可恢复镰状细胞贫血儿童异常升高的免疫参数。HU 治疗后，CD3+、CD4+、Th1 和 CD8+T 细胞显著增加，而 NK、Th2 和 Tc2 细胞显著减少，导致 Th1/Th2 和 Tc1/Tc2 比值增加。我们的研究显示了 HU 治疗对 SCA 儿童免疫参数的影响。
