Total oxidant status of children with sickle cell anaemia: Correlation with rate of pain episodes and haematological indices

Abstract Background Total oxidative status (TOS) measures cumulative oxidant levels. In sickle cell anaemia (SCA), oxidative stress plays a significant role in the pathophysiology of vasoocclusive and haemolytic phenotypes. In this study, we evaluated serum levels of TOS in children with SCA and matched healthy controls, and determined its relationship with the rates of vasoocclusive crisis (VOC) and haematological profile. Method One hundred and sixty children, comprising of 80 with SCA aged 1–15 years and 80 age- and sex-matched haemoglobin (Hb) AA controls were studied. Serum TOS was determined by Human TOS Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay. Result The mean serum TOS of subjects with SCA (13.27 ± 4.62 U/mL) was significantly higher than 9.69 ± 2.74 U/mL for the matched controls, p  Conclusion Children with SCA had higher TOS than matched controls. Markers of oxidative stress had significant correlation with rates of pain episodes and haematocrit levels. Efforts should be made to minimize altered oxidative milieu in SCA.