Elevated Endothelial Cells and Extracellular Vesicles in Sickle Cell Disease
Author Information
Author(s): Beckman Joan D., Zhang Ping, Nguyen Julia, Hebbel Robert P., Vercellotti Gregory M., Belcher John D.
Primary Institution: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
Hypothesis
Are circulating endothelial cells and endothelial-derived extracellular vesicles elevated in the plasma of sickle cell disease patients compared to healthy controls?
Conclusion
The study found that circulating endothelial cells and endothelial-derived extracellular vesicles are significantly elevated in sickle cell disease patients, especially during pain crises.
Supporting Evidence
- Total circulating endothelial cells were significantly higher in sickle cell disease patients compared to controls.
- Activated endothelial-derived extracellular vesicles were also significantly elevated in sickle cell disease patients.
- Plasma markers of endothelial activation were increased in sickle cell disease patients.
Takeaway
People with sickle cell disease have more special cells and tiny bubbles in their blood that show their blood vessels are not working well, especially when they are in pain.
Methodology
Flow cytometry was used to measure circulating endothelial cells and extracellular vesicles in blood samples from sickle cell disease patients and healthy controls.
Potential Biases
Potential biases due to the retrospective identification of pain events and the limited demographic data for healthy controls.
Limitations
The study had a limited sample size and was affected by COVID-19 restrictions, which impacted recruitment and data collection.
Participant Demographics
Sickle cell disease participants aged 20-56, with 41% female representation; healthy controls were primarily male.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.003 for total CECs, 0.0017 for activated EEVs
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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