Assessment of plasma fibrinogen and vitamin D levels among participants with different haemoglobin phenotypes in a Nigerian tertiary health care facility

Abstract

Background: Hyperfibrinogenaemia and vitamin D deficiency have been implicated in the pathogenesis and severity of sickle cell anaemia (SCA). Objective: To determine the levels of fibrinogen and vitamin D in persons with different haemoglobin phenotypes and correlate these levels with disease severity. Patients and Methods: Ninety adult volunteers were recruited, comprising 30 each of SCA (HbSS), heterozygous and normal (HbAA) haemoglobin type. Each volunteer had 6 mL of venous blood collected; 1.8 and 2 mL were used for plasma fibrinogen and serum vitamin D assay, respectively, while the remaining 2.2 mL was used for haemoglobin phenotype and full blood count determination. The disease severity for patients with SCA was determined using an objective scoring system. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Programme for Social Sciences version 20 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA); the level of significance was at P < 0.05. Results: The median plasma fibrinogen and serum vitamin D levels in patients with HbSS vs. HbAA volunteers were 295.00 mg/dL (Q1–Q3; 230.00–342.25 mg/dL) and 27.35 ng/mL (Q1–Q3; 19.75–36.20 ng/mL), respectively. The levels of plasma fibrinogen and serum vitamin D were not significantly different in patients with HbSS vs. HbAA volunteers (P values = 0.32 and 0.47, respectively) and were not significantly correlated with disease severity. Conclusion: Plasma fibrinogen and serum vitamin D levels do not predict the disease severity in steady-state SCA.