The impact of interferon-gamma level on the health status of patients with sickle cell disease in Basrah

Abstract

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most prevalent autosomal recessive diseases, characterized by the generation of abnormal hemoglobin S. Our study aimed to assess how the serum level of interferon-gamma affects the health status of patients with SCD in Basrah. A total of 90 participants were enrolled in this study and divided into two main groups: a SCD group and a control group. The SCD group included 30 patients with SCD in steady state and 30 patients with SCD in vasoocclusive crisis; the control group included 30 ageand sexmatched apparently healthy individuals. Approval was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of the College of Medicine, University of Basrah before conducting the study. Two milliliters of venous blood were drawn from all the participants, and ELISA tests were utilized to determine the levels of serum interferon-gamma. There was a statistically significant increase in the serum level of interferon-gamma among SCD patients (both in steady state and in crisis) compared to the control group (p = 0.05). There were no significant differences in the levels of interferon-gamma between the patients in steady state and during vaso-occlusive crisis (p > 0.05). Interferon-gamma may influence the general health of sickle cell patients and contribute to the cause of inflammation, no matter whether the patient is in stable condition or is experiencing a crisis.