Introduction: Angiogenesis has been investigated in different kinds of anemia. However, its role as a marker of angiogenesis has not been investigated in thalassemia or sickle cell disease (SCD).
Objectives: We aimed to investigate serum angiogenin level in children and adolescents with beta thalassemia or SCD and its relation to possible risk factors of angiogenesis.
Materials and methods: This study included; 32 β-thalassemia major (β-TM) patients aged 14.2 ± 3.8 years, 20 β-thalassemia intermedia (β-TI) patients aged 14.3 ± 4.8 years, 20 SCD patients aged 14.1 ± 2.4 years; 8 with (HbSS) and 12 with sickle thalassemia (HbS/β-thalassemia) and 35 age and sex-matched controls. Data collected regarding; age, sex, disease duration, blood transfusion frequency, transfusion index, chelation type and duration, CBC, Hb electrophoresis, serum ferritin and serum angiogenin level (by ELISA).
Results: Angiogenin level was significantly higher in patients with SCD [250 (100-300) pg/mL] compared to β-TM [180 (140-230) pg/mL] and controls [89 (80-103) pg/mL] (P < .001) especially those with HbSS (P = .06). There was a significant negative correlation between serum angiogenin and age of patients, age of onset and duration of chelation in β-TM (P < .01, P < .001, P = .003) and β-TI (P = .009, P = .03, P < .001) and with serum ferritin in β-TI group (r = -0.573, P = .008). In SCD, angiogenin level was negatively correlated with both frequency of blood transfusion (r = -0.731, P < .001) and duration of hydroxyurea therapy (P = .017).
Conclusions: High angiogenin level detected among patients with SCD may be negatively influenced by regular blood transfusion and hydroxyurea therapy, while; early onset of chelation therapy may decrease angiogenin level in β-TM.