A Pilot Study Indicating Valuation of C‑Reactive Protein for Disease Outcome in Sickle Hemoglobin Patients of Central India

Evidences support the fact that sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with a chronic inflammatory state characterized by haemolysis. C-reactive protein level (CRP) and white blood cell (WBC) count considered as biomarkers for inflammation. Also, elevation of serum total lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels are found to be associated with haemolysis, this makes LDH a nonspecific marker which has to be interpreted in a context of other markers of disease. The present study aims to assess the role of CRP levels, WBC counts, RBC counts, haemoglobin (Hb) concentrations and LDH levels in sickle hemoglobin (HbS) patients. Blood samples of 10 HbS patients (six females and four males) attending M.Y. Hospital, Indore during the period of Aug to Oct 2019 were screened for CRP, LDH and Hb levels and RBC and WBC counts using latex enhanced immune-turbidimetric assay, LDH optimize DGKC kinetic and differential automated hematology analyzer respectively. Data (mean ± SEM) was analyzed using Graphpad Prism software using Tukey’s multiple comparison post-hoc test. The mean Hb levels (7.73 ± 0.81 g/dl) and RBC counts (3.21 ± 0.53 million/µl) were found to be significantly decreased (p˂ 0.001 and 0.01 respectively) and mean WBC counts (15214.28 ± 1893.40 per mm3), CRP levels (85.73 ± 23.23 mg/l) and LDH levels (1334.00 ± 418.49 U/l) were found to be significantly increased (p˂ 0.0001, 0.01 and 0.01 respectively) in HbS patients in comparison with their respective controls. The variations in serum LDH and CRP levels are accompanied by changes in hematological parameters in HbS patients. These parameters may be considered as indicator of the severity of the disease. Keywords: C-reactive protein, LDH, Sickle cell disease