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. 2021 Jan-Dec:27:10760296211047230.
doi: 10.1177/10760296211047230.

Iron Chelation Reduces DNA Damage in Sickle Cell Anemia

Rawan S Al-Khateeb  1 , Hanan S Althagafy  2 , Mohammad Zaki ElAssouli  3 , Dunya A Nori  1 , Mohammed AlFattani  4 , Salwa A Al-Najjar  5 , Turki Al Amri  6 , Anwar M Hashem  3 , Steve Harakeh  7 , Nawal Helmi  2
Affiliations

Iron Chelation Reduces DNA Damage in Sickle Cell Anemia

Rawan S Al-Khateeb et al. Clin Appl Thromb Hemost. 2021 Jan-Dec.

Abstract

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a blood condition that causes severe pain. One of the therapeutic agents used for the treatment of SCA is hydroxyurea, which reduces the episodes of pain but causes DNA damage to white blood cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of hydroxyurea and iron chelation therapy in relation to the extent of DNA-associated damage. Blood samples were collected from 120 subjects from five groups. Various hematological parameters of the obtained serum were analyzed. The amount of damage caused to their DNA was detected using the comet assay and fluorescent microscopy techniques. The percentage of DNA damage in the group that was subjected to the combination therapy (target group) was 1.32% ± 1.51%, which was significantly lower (P < .05) than that observed in the group treated with hydroxyurea alone (6.36% ± 2.36%). While the target group showed comparable levels of hemoglobin F and lactate dehydrogenase compared to the group that was treated with hydroxyurea alone, highly significant levels of transferrin receptors and ferritin were observed in the target group. The results of this study revealed that the administration of iron chelation drugs with hydroxyurea may help improve patients' health and prevent the DNA damage caused to white blood cells due to hydroxyurea. Further studies are needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms that are involved in this process.

Keywords: DNA damage; hydroxyurea; iron chelation therapy; leukocyte DNA; sickle cell anemia.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Evaluation of the effects of different concentrations of hydroxyurea on genotoxicity.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Photomicrographs which generated by EDRI technology for the comet damage.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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