Table I.
Comparison of clinical and laboratory characteristics of 88 subjects with and without pulmonary hypertension.
| PH (TRV ≥ 2·5 m/s) |
No PH (TRV < 2·5 m/s) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristic | No. | Mean ± SD or proportion (fraction) |
No. | Mean ± SD or proportion (fraction) |
P-value |
| Demographics | |||||
| Age (years) | 18 | 13·8 ± 3·3 | 70 | 12·8 ± 3·8 | 0·27 |
| Gender (female) | 18 | 0·33 (6/18) | 70 | 0·53 (37/70) | 0·22 |
| Sickle phenotype (SS) | 18 | 0·78 (14/18) | 70 | 0·64 (45/70) | 0·42 |
| Clinical history | |||||
| Oxygen saturation (%)* | 18 | 97 ± 3 | 70 | 98 ± 2 | 0·09 |
| Vaso-occlusive pain crisis† | 18 | 0·44 (8/18) | 70 | 0·46 (32/70) | 1 |
| Acute chest syndrome‡ | 18 | 0·39 (7/18) | 70 | 0·46 (32/70) | 0·8 |
| Asthma | 18 | 0·33 (6/18) | 70 | 0·27 (19/70) | 0·82 |
| Hydroxycarbamide therapy§ | 18 | 0·17 (3/18) | 70 | 0·14 (10/70) | 0·72 |
| Chronic transfusion therapy | 18 | 0·39 (7/18) | 70 | 0·16 (11/70) | 0·05 |
| CVD (stroke or abnormal TCD) | 14 | 0·5 (7/14) | 49 | 0·22 (11/49) | 0·09 |
| Sepsis | 18 | 0·22 (4/18) | 70 | 0·07 (5/70) | 0·08 |
| Splenectomy | 18 | 0·17 (3/18) | 70 | 0·19 (13/70) | 1 |
| Laboratory data | |||||
| Markers of haemolysis | |||||
| Haemoglobin (g/l) | 18 | 89 ± 18 | 70 | 95 ± 17 | 0·26 |
| Reticulocyte count (%) | 18 | 10·1 ± 4·3 | 70 | 8·5 ± 5·4 | 0·19 |
| Lactate dehydrogenase (u/l) | 18 | 578 ± 323 | 68 | 408 ± 196 | 0·04 |
| Total bilirubin (µmol/l) | 18 | 63·3 ± 35·9 | 70 | 49·6 ± 35·9 | 0·12 |
| Indirect bilirubin (µmol/l) | 17 | 42·8 ± 41 | 70 | 35·9 ± 32·5 | 0·51 |
| Aspartate transaminase (u/l) | 18 | 46 ± 20 | 70 | 37 ± 23 | 0·14 |
| Markers of inflammation | |||||
| White blood cell count (×109/l) | 18 | 11·3 ± 2·6 | 70 | 10·6 ± 3·7 | 0·38 |
| Platelet count (×109/l) | 18 | 475 ± 115 | 70 | 398 ± 153 | 0·02 |
| Liver | |||||
| Direct bilirubin (µmol/l) | 17 | 22·2 ± 20·5 | 70 | 13·7 ± 18·8 | 0·14 |
| Alanine transaminase (u/l) | 18 | 19 ± 8 | 70 | 21 ± 28 | 0·69 |
| Alkaline phosphatase (u/l) | 18 | 162 ± 78 | 70 | 156 ± 66 | 0·77 |
| Renal | |||||
| Creatinine (µmol/l) | 18 | 44·2 ± 17·7 | 70 | 44·2 ± 17·7 | 0·76 |
| Iron | |||||
| Ferritin (lg/l) | 18 | 1155 ± 1786 | 70 | 824 ± 1616 | 0·48 |
| Males only (N = 45) | |||||
| Priapism | 12 | 0·42 (5/12) | 33 | (4/33) | 0·04 |
PH, pulmonary hypertension; SD, standard deviation; CVD, cerebrovascular disease; TCD, Transcranial Doppler.
*
By pulse oximetry.
†
History of vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) was defined as at least one hospital admission for VOC or at least three outpatient visits for VOC.
‡
ACS was defined as history of radiographic evidence of a new pulmonary infiltrate associated with fever, respiratory symptoms, or hypoxia.
§
Patients were considered to be on hydroxycarbamide therapy if they were on the medication for at least 6 months prior to the echocardiogram.