ABSTRACT
Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder characterized by a hypercoagulable state. Several complications in this hemoglobinopathy are increased by thrombosis. Factor V Leiden (FVL), prothrombin (PRT) G20210A, and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T and A1298C mutations are major inherited risk factors of thrombotic complications. In this study, our aim was to compare the frequencies of these mutations in sickle cell patients with healthy controls. The study population comprised 35 homozygous Hb S (HBB: c.20A>T) patients, 29 compound heterozygous patients [16 Hb S/ß0-thalassemia (ß0-thal), four Hb S/ß+-thal, seven Hb S/Hb C (HBB: c.19G>A) and two Hb S/Hb O-Arab (HBB: c.364G>A)] and 100 healthy subjects. All patients and controls were subjected to laboratory investigations as well as mutation genotyping. Our findings showed a severe anemia with the lowest values of protein S (PS), protein C (PC) and antithrombin (AT) in the homozygous Hb S group compared to Hb S/Hb C and Hb S/ß-thal subjects. No significant difference in FVL genotype between patients and controls was observed, whereas high frequencies of PRT G20210A, MTHFR C677T and MTHFR A1298C mutations in the Hb S patients and a significant association between the MTHFR C677T mutation and Hb S/ß0-thal were found.
