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- Title
A much higher prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in males with sickle cell diseases even in the absence of smoking and alcohol.
- Authors
Helvaci, Mehmet Rami; Maden, Emin; Yalcin, Atilla; Muftuoglu, Orhan Ekrem; Abyad, Abdulrazak; Pocock, Lesley
- Abstract
Background: We tried to understand prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in both genders in sickle cell diseases (SCD). Methods: All cases with the SCD in the absence of smoking and alcohol were included. Results: The study included 368 patients (168 males). Mean ages were similar in males and females (29.4 versus 30.2 years, respectively, p>0.05). Mean values of body mass index (BMI) were similar in males and females, too (21.7 versus 21.6 kg/m2, respectively, p>0.05). Interestingly, total bilirubin value of the plasma (5.2 versus 4.0 mg/dL, p=0.011), transfused units of red blood cells (RBC) in their lives (46.8 versus 29.2, p=0.002), COPD (20.8% versus 6.0%, p<0.001), and digital clubbing (13.0% versus 5.5%, p<0.001) were all higher in males. Whereas painful crises per year (5.0 versus 5.0), pulmonary hypertension (10.1% versus 12.5%), acute chest syndrome (2.3% versus 3.5%), mortality (8.3% versus 6.5%), and mean age of mortality (29.0 versus 32.5 years) were similar in males and females, respectively (p>0.05 for all). Conclusion: SCD are severe inflammatory processes on vascular endothelium particularly at the capillary level, since capillary system is the main distributor of hardened RBC into tissues. The capillary endothelial damage, inflammation, edema, and fibrosis induced hypoxia may be the underlying cause of COPD in the SCD. Although the similar BMI and absence of smoking and alcohol, the much higher prevalence of COPD may be explained by the dominant role of male sex in life according to the physical power that may accelerate systemic atherosclerotic process in whole body.
- Subjects
OBSTRUCTIVE lung diseases; SICKLE cell anemia; SMOKING; ERYTHROCYTES; PULMONARY hypertension; VASCULAR endothelium; HYPERTENSIVE crisis
- Publication
Middle East Journal of Internal Medicine, 2021, Vol 14, Issue 1, p10
- ISSN
1837-9052
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.5742/MEJIM2021.93793