Al-Busafi Said A, Al-Zaabi Fatma, Al-Kindi Salam
Department of Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman.
Medicine Residency Training Program, Oman Medical Specialty Board, Muscat, Oman.
Saudi J Gastroenterol. 2025 Sep 1;31(5):301-312. doi: 10.4103/sjg.sjg_177_25. Epub 2025 Sep 23.
: Sickle cell hepatopathy (SCH) is a significant yet under-researched complication of sickle cell disease (SCD). Despite the substantial prevalence of SCD in Oman and the Gulf region, the burden and characteristics of SCH remain poorly defined. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of SCH and its associated demographic, clinical, and laboratory features among Omani adolescents and adults with SCD.
: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital. Of 2,257 patients screened, 384 were diagnosed with SCH (prevalence 17%). After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 750 patients were analyzed: 384 SCH cases and 366 randomly selected controls without SCH. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were reviewed to identify associations.
: SCH was significantly associated with cholelithiasis (56.6% vs. 38.5%, = 0.0001) and exchange transfusions (36.6% vs. 20.8%, = 0.0001). Patients with SCH were more likely to be male (51.1% vs. 37.8%, = 0.0001) and younger (28.9 ± 8.7 vs. 31.0 ± 10.2 years, = 0.002). Markers of hemolysis, including elevated lactate dehydrogenase (522.4 vs. 341.6 U/L, < 0.0001) and higher reticulocyte counts (8.5% vs. 5.4%, < 0.0001), were also associated with SCH. However, no independent predictors were identified in multivariate analysis.
: SCH affects nearly one in six Omani patients with SCD, with associations to younger age, male gender, cholelithiasis, and transfusion history. These findings highlight the importance of proactive screening and personalized management to improve outcomes in this high-risk population.
镰状细胞性肝病（SCH）是镰状细胞病（SCD）一种重要但研究不足的并发症。尽管阿曼和海湾地区SCD的患病率很高，但SCH的负担和特征仍不明确。本研究旨在确定阿曼患有SCD的青少年和成年人中SCH的患病率及其相关的人口统计学、临床和实验室特征。
我们在苏丹卡布斯大学医院进行了一项回顾性横断面研究。在筛查的2257名患者中，384例被诊断为SCH（患病率17%）。应用纳入和排除标准后，对750例患者进行了分析：384例SCH病例和366例随机选择的无SCH对照。回顾人口统计学、临床和实验室数据以确定相关性。
SCH与胆石症（56.6%对38.5%，P = 0.0001）和换血治疗（36.6%对20.8%，P = 0.0001）显著相关。SCH患者更可能为男性（51.1%对37.8%，P = 0.0001）且年龄更小（28.9±8.7岁对31.0±10.2岁，P = 0.002）。溶血标志物，包括乳酸脱氢酶升高（522.4对341.6 U/L，P < 0.0001）和网织红细胞计数更高（8.5%对5.4%，P < 0.0001），也与SCH相关。然而，多变量分析未发现独立预测因素。
SCH影响近六分之一的阿曼SCD患者，与年轻、男性、胆石症和输血史相关。这些发现凸显了积极筛查和个性化管理对改善这一高危人群预后的重要性。
