Hydroxyurea for Children with Sickle Cell Anemia in Sub-Saharan Africa

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Abstract

Hydroxyurea is an effective treatment for sickle cell anemia, but few studies have been conducted in sub-Saharan Africa, where the burden is greatest. Coexisting conditions such as malnutrition and malaria may affect the feasibility, safety, and benefits of hydroxyurea in low-resource settings.

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The effect of prolonged administration of hydroxyurea on morbidity and mortality in adult patients with sickle cell syndromes: results of a 17-year, single-center trial (LaSHS).

E. Rivas Plata, George Stamatopoulos, A Balassopoulou … (2010)

The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of hydroxyurea (HU) in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Thirty-four patients with sickle cell anemia (hemoglobin S [HbS]/HbS), 131 with HbS/beta(0)-thal, and 165 with HbS/beta(+)-thal participated in this trial. HU was administered to 131 patients, whereas 199 patients were conventionally treated. The median follow-up period was 8 years for HU patients and 5 years for non-HU patients. HU produced a dramatic reduction in the frequency of severe painful crises, transfusion requirements, hospital admissions, and incidence of acute chest syndrome. The probability of 10-year survival was 86% and 65% for HU and non-HU patients, respectively (P = .001), although HU patients had more severe forms of SCD. The 10-year probability of survival for HbS/HbS, HbS/beta (0)-thal, and HbS/IVSI-110 patients was 100%, 87%, and 82%, respectively, for HU patients and 10%, 54%, and 66%, for non-HU patients. The multivariate analysis showed that fetal hemoglobin values at baseline and percentage change of lactate dehydrogenase between baseline and 6 months were independently predicted for survival in the HU group. These results highlight the beneficial effect of HU, which seems to modify the natural history of SCD and raise the issue of expanding its use in all SCD patients.

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How I use hydroxyurea to treat young patients with sickle cell anemia.

Matthew Ware (2010)

Hydroxyurea has many characteristics of an ideal drug for sickle cell anemia (SCA) and provides therapeutic benefit through multiple mechanisms of action. Over the past 25 years, substantial experience has accumulated regarding its safety and efficacy for patients with SCA. Early proof-of-principle studies were followed by prospective phase 1/2 trials demonstrating efficacy in affected adults, then adolescents and children, and more recently infants and toddlers. The phase 3 National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute-sponsored Multicenter Study of Hydroxyurea trial proved clinical efficacy for preventing acute vaso-occlusive events in severely affected adults. Based on this cumulative experience, hydroxyurea has emerged as an important therapeutic option for children and adolescents with recurrent vaso-occlusive events; recent evidence documents sustained long-term benefits with prevention or reversal of chronic organ damage. Despite abundant evidence for its efficacy, however, hydroxyurea has not yet translated into effective therapy for SCA. Because many healthcare providers have inadequate knowledge about hydroxyurea, patients and families are not offered treatment or decline because of unrealistic fears. Limited support for hydroxyurea by lay organizations and inconsistent medical delivery systems also contribute to underuse. Although questions remain regarding its long-term risks and benefits, current evidence suggests that many young patients with SCA should receive hydroxyurea treatment.

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Hydroxyurea enhances fetal hemoglobin production in sickle cell anemia.

Manu Platt, Lynn Dover, Paul Nathan … (1984)

Hydroxyurea, a widely used cytotoxic/cytostatic agent that does not influence methylation of DNA bases, increases fetal hemoglobin production in anemic monkeys. To determine its effect in sickle cell anemia, we treated two patients with a total of four, 5-d courses (50 mg/kg per d, divided into three oral doses). With each course, fetal reticulocytes increased within 48-72 h, peaked in 7-11 d, and fell by 18-21 d. In patient I, fetal reticulocytes increased from 16.0 +/- 2.0% to peaks of 37.7 +/- 1.2, 40.0 +/- 2.0, and 32.0 +/- 1.4% in three successive courses. In patient II the increase was from 8.7 +/- 1.2 to 50.0 +/- 2.0%. Fetal hemoglobin increased from 7.9 to 12.3% in patient I and from 5.3 to 7.4% in patient II. Hemoglobin of patient I increased from 9.0 to 10.5 g/dl and in patient II from 6.7 to 9.9 g/dl. Additional single-day courses of hydroxyurea every 7-20 d maintained the fetal hemoglobin of patient I t 10.8-14.4%, and the total hemoglobin at 8.7-10.8 g/dl for an additional 60 d. The lowest absolute granulocyte count was 1,600/mm3; the lowest platelet count was 390,000/mm3. The amount of fetal hemoglobin per erythroid burst colony-forming unit (BFU-E)-derived colony cell was unchanged, but the number of cells per BFU-E-derived colony increased. Although examination of DNA synthesis in erythroid marrow cells in vitro revealed no decreased methylcytidine incorporation, Eco RI + Hpa II digestion of DNA revealed that hypomethylation of gamma-genes had taken place in vivo after treatment. This observation suggests that hydroxyurea is a potentially useful agent for the treatment of sickle cell anemia and that demethylation of the gamma-globin genes accompanies increased gamma-globin gene activity.

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Author and article information

Journal

Title: New England Journal of Medicine

Abbreviated Title: N Engl J Med

Publisher: New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM/MMS)

ISSN (Print): 0028-4793

ISSN (Electronic): 1533-4406

Publication date Created: December 2018

Publication date (Electronic): December 2018

Affiliations

[1 ]From Centre Hospitalier Monkole, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (L.T.); the Department of Medicine, University Health Network and Mt. Sinai Hospital, and the University of Toronto, Toronto (G.T.); the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)–Wellcome Trust Research Program, Kilifi, Kenya (T.N.W.); the Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London (T.N.W.); Hospital Pediátrico David Bernardino, Luanda, Angola (B.S.); Mbale Clinical Research Institute and Mbale Regional Referral and...

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DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1813598

PMC ID: 6454575

PubMed ID: 30501550

SO-VID: 7c1298b3-9a0f-47e1-8864-7c8689a0f0dd

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http://www.nejmgroup.org/legal/terms-of-use.htm

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Hydroxyurea for Children with Sickle Cell Anemia in Sub-Saharan Africa

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Most cited references 21

The effect of prolonged administration of hydroxyurea on morbidity and mortality in adult patients with sickle cell syndromes: results of a 17-year, single-center trial (LaSHS).

How I use hydroxyurea to treat young patients with sickle cell anemia.

Hydroxyurea enhances fetal hemoglobin production in sickle cell anemia.

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