Sickle cell disease

Sickle cell disease is the world’s number one genetic disorder, affecting up to 8 million people and 515 000 newborns every year. Sickle cell anemia alters the structure of hemoglobin, the main oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells. This anomaly is responsible for the rigidification of red blood cells, generating chronic anemia, increased risk of infection and vaso-occlusive crises (CVO). The latter is the major symptom of sickle cell disease, and its most physically, emotionally and socio-economically disabling manifestation. CVO are extremely painful and unpredictable, and they can be lethal, as in the case of acute lung complications, which are the leading cause of death in sickle cell patients. Long-term complications of the disease, notably organ failure caused by repeated crises, greatly reduce life expectancy (40 to 60 years in developed countries) and quality of life for patients.

fTT biomarker is able to discriminate patients in ICU

A) fTT measured on 1 control HbAA sample (grey) and 2 samples from patients in ICU (green) at shear rates ranging from 1 to 15 s-1. fTT measured at a shear rate of B) 10s-1 and C) 5 s-1 on 19, respectively 3, controls (grey) and 2 ICU patients (green).