Pathophysiology of Acute Pain in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease

National Heart, Lung, And Blood Institute

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Abstract

cfDNA has been shown to be present in plasma of healthy subjects, but elevated in diseases and conditions that are characterized by increased cell death through necrosis or apoptosis. Indeed, we have previously shown that cfDNA in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) increased dramatically during acute painful episodes. During acute sickle pain, marked elevation of plasma hemoglobin has also been observed due to the acute increase in sickled red blood cells and hemolysis. Both cfDNA and heme (break down product of hemoglobin) act as damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) molecules, initiating endothelial inflammation, stimulation of neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation, leukocyte recruitment, and microvascular thrombosis. Although there have been several studies of cytokines and chemokines in steady state and acute sickle cell disease, there has been no comprehensive study of how the inflammatory markers correlate with quantitative levels and profile of cfDNA. In this study, we would like to apply next generation sequencing (NGS) to analyze cfDNA from the plasma of patients with SCD in steady-state, and during painful crises to derive insights on the origin of tissue damage. In parallel with the free plasma DNA, we propose to measure markers of hemolysis and inflammation (cytokines, chemokines), and to investigate if interactions between these circulating molecules and blood cells (e.g. neutrophils) have the potential to modulate the progress and severity of the disease. In addition, we would also like to explore if there is a distinctive cell-free DNA and inflammatory signature in SCD in steady-state and during acute vaso-occlusive crises. Overall, this study provides an opportunity to evaluate new biomarkers of sickle cell pain crisis and to predict disease severity and prognosis. These measures may allow us to better understand the role of vaso-occlusion, hemolysis, and inflammation-related events and responses and serve as clinical endpoints in future studies of disease pathogenesis and/or therapeutic intervention for sickle cell disease. The protocol is actively accruing patients from the NIH clinical center. The first patient was enrolled on March 17, 2017. To date, 30 patients have been enrolled, 15 of these patients have had pain crisis visits with three having more than one pain crisis visit. Two patients have completed the study and one patient expired.