The levels of T cells (T-Helper/T-Suppressor and Natural Killer cells) in patients with Sickle Cell Anemia who undergo Erythrocytapheresis

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is an autosomal recessive hemoglobinopathy characterized by hemolytic anemia, intermittent occlusion of small vessels leading to acute and chronic tissue ischemia, and organ dysfunction.Patients with SCA, particularly children, have an increased susceptibility to infections due to immune function impairment and functional asplenia, and severe infections can trigger vasoocclusive crises in these patients.Despite the fact that erythrocytapheresis has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment and prevention of complications related to sickling processes, neither the effect of erythrocytapheresis on the level of T cell subsets nor the role of lymphocytes in the immunocompromised state in SCA has been fully defined.In this study, flow cytometric analyses were performed in SCA patients before and after erythrocytapheresis to assess the influence of apheresis procedure on the levels of T cell subsets.Before apheresis, the percentage of CD3(+) T cells, CD4(+) helper/inducer cells, CD8(+) cytotoxic T cells and NK cells were %21,36±14,54, %15,86±11,41, %10,13±7,24 and %5,40±2,88 respectively. An increase in postapheresis counts was detected in all parameters. The mean percentage of CD3(+) T cells, CD4(+) helper/inducer cells, CD8(+) cytotoxic T cells and NK cells obtained after procedure was %36,23±16,10 (p<0,001), %21,32±10,08 (p=0,002), %14,70±8,20 (p<0,001) and %9,69±5,97 (p<0,001) respectively.There were statistically significant increases on the levels of T cells in patients with SCA who underwent erythrocytapheresis. We have suggested that the main cause and the clinical significance of this increase needs to be further investigated in a clinical study with higher number of cases.