Baneen ALJISHI, Yasser OSMAN
Objectives: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an autosomal recessive multisystem disorder. It is associated with high morbidity and mortality and affects patients’ quality of life. The global prevalence of SCD underscores the need for comprehensive strategies to improve disease outcomes. It is imperative to investigate the possible predictors of Vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) to develop effective strategies to manage this serious complication.
The aim of this study is to investigate the different laboratory and clinical findings which might be used as markers to predict the development of VOC.
Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study included all homozygous sickle cell disease patients of all ages and both genders over 25 years, from 1993 to 2018. The hospital’s electronic database was used to collect demographic, clinical, and different baseline laboratory data. In addition to retrieving the reported SCD complications. Eligible patients were divided into two groups based on the development of VOC at any time during the disease.
Outcomes: This study included 294 Saudi sickle cell disease patients aged from 6 to 31 years, with a mean age of 19.4 ± 6.3 years. 35 patients (11.9% of cases) suffered from bronchial asthma during their illness. The most frequent complication was VOC that was reported in 32.0% of cases. Multivariable regression analysis revealed that bronchial asthma was significantly associated with a more than threefold increased odds of VOC (AOR = 3.320; 95% CI: 1.531–7.201; p = 0.002), reflecting a higher risk of developing VOC in patients having asthma compared to those without asthma. Similarly, each 1% increase in reticulocyte count was associated with a 11.4% higher likelihood of VOC (AOR = 1.114; 95% CI: 1.056–1.175; p < 0.001). Elevated LDH also significantly predicted VOC, though with a smaller effect size (AOR = 1.002; 95% CI: 1.000–1.003; p = 0.009).
Conclusion: SCD patients who developed bronchial asthma are more likely to experience VOC. Besides, we found that elevated LDH levels and reticulocyte counts were significantly associated with higher incidence of VOC. We concluded that VOC could be predicted using a combination of routine baseline laboratory biomarkers, such as LDH levels and reticulocyte counts. The identified predictors are easy to assess and could be used as prognostic markers for tailored management of VOC complications in SCD patients.
Conflict of interest: We, the authors undersign, certificate that we do not have any financial or personal relationships that might bias the content of this work.
Keywords: Sickle cell disease, Vaso-occlusive crisis, Bronchial asthma, Reticulocyte count, LDH
https://doi.org/10.59854/dhrrh.2026.4.2.73
Cite this article
PAljishi B., Osman Y., A Retrospective Study of Sickle Cell Disease Patients’ Clinical and Laboratory Data as Predictors of Disease Morbidity and Mortality in a Single Center (KFHU), Saudi Arabia. DHRRH, 2026, 6(2), https://doi.org/10.59854/dhrrh.2026.4.2.73
