Assessment of serum neopterin and kynurenine levels in Egyptian children with sickle cell disease: a single center study

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Abstract

Neopterin, a guanosine triphosphate metabolite, is an indicator for cell-mediated immunity. Kynurenine performs a variety of biological functions, such as the dilation of blood vessels in response to inflammation and the regulation of immune response. Objectives: to assess serum neopterin and kynurenine levels in Egyptian children with sickle cell disease (SCD). In our case-control study, we included 40 children aged 2–18 years with SCD treated at the Hematology Unit of the Department of Pediatrics, Menoufia University Hospital and 40 healthy controls matched on age, sex, and socio-economic status. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the Menoufia Faculty of Medicine. We obtained comprehensive health history data of the study participants and performed necessary clinical examinations and tests including complete blood count, serum ferritin, and hemoglobin electrophoresis. Serum neopterin and kynurenine concentrations were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In the patients with SCD, serum neopterin and kynurenine levels were significantly higher during vaso-occlusive crisis than in a steady state, and much higher than in the controls (p < 0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between serum neopterin concentrations and mean corpuscular hemoglobin levels, platelets, HbF, HbS, and HbA2, and a significant negative correlation between serum neopterin levels and height, Hb, hematocrit and HbA1. We also observed a significant positive correlation between serum kynurenine and body mass index, HbA2, HbF, HbS, and platelets and a significant negative correlation between serum kynurenine and hemoglobin, hematocrit and HbA1. The cases were shown to have higher neopterin and kynurenine levels than the controls. The concentrations of neopterin and kynurenine were higher in the patients during vaso-occlusive crises than in a steady state.

About the authors

M. A. El-Hawy

Menoufia University

Author for correspondence.
Email: mahmodelhawy18@yahoo.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-3420-922X

Mahmoud Ahmed El-Hawy, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine

32511 Menoufia, Egypt

Egypt

H. M. Bedair

Menoufia University

ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2229-3129

Shebin El-Kom

Egypt

A.M. Y.M. Madkour

Menoufia University

Shebin El-Kom

Egypt

S.M. T. Moussa

Menoufia University

Shebin El-Kom

Egypt

A. A. Mahmoud

Menoufia University

Shebin El-Kom

Egypt

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Copyright (c) 2022 El-Hawy M.A., Bedair H.M., Madkour A.Y., Moussa S.T., Mahmoud A.A.

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