Abstract:
Background. Abnormal lipid homeostasis in sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by defects in plasma and erythrocyte lipids and
may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. This study assessed the lipid profile and non-HDL cholesterol level of SCD patients.
Methods. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 50 SCD patients, in the steady state, aged 8โ28 years, attending
the SCD clinic, and 50 healthy volunteers between the ages of 8โ38 years. Serum lipids were determined by enzymatic methods
and non-HDL cholesterol calculated by this formula: non-HDL-C = TC-HDL-C. Results. Total cholesterol (TC) (𝑝 = 0.001) and
high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (𝑝 < 0.0001) were significantly decreased in cases compared to controls. The levels
of non-HDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglyceride (TG) were similar among the participants. The levels
of decrease in TC and HDL were associated with whether a patient was SCD-SS or SCD-SC. Systolic blood pressure and diastolic
blood pressure were each significantly associated with increased VLDL [SBP, 𝑝 = 0.01, OR: 0.74 (CI: 0.6โ0.93); DBP, 𝑝 = 0.023,
OR: 1.45 (CI: 1.05โ2.0)]. Conclusion. Dyslipidemia is common among participants in this study. It was more pronounced in the
SCD-SS than in SCD-SC. This dyslipidemia was associated with high VLDL as well as increased SBP and DBP.
