People with sickle cell trait and sickle cell disease (SCD) experience faster rates of GFR decline than people with normal hemoglobin phenotypes. This study from the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology sought to understand how acute kidney injury (AKI) risk compares in individuals with sickle cell trait, SCD, and individuals with normal hemoglobin phenotypes. It also sought to better understand GFR decline in people with sickle cell trait and SCD.
This observational study used data from multiple centers as well as registry data from 2005 to 2018. Patients with sickle cell trait and SCD were observed, with patients with normal hemoglobin phenotypes used as a reference. All of the patients were Black adults. The data allowed the researchers to analyze outcomes of interest, including incident AKI, incident severe AKI, and incident sustained AKI. All outcomes were evaluated using Cox regression.
The researchers discovered 796 AKI events, 452 sustained AKI events, and 466 severe AKI events. Sickle cell trait was associated with a higher risk of sustained AKI. SCD was associated with a higher risk of incident AKI, incident severe AKI, and sustained AKI. Post-AKI GFR decline was observed to be significantly faster in patients with sickle cell trait and SCD [1].
Source:
[1] Olaniran, K. O., Allegretti, A. S., Zhao, S. H., Nigwekar, S. U., & Kalim, S. (2021). Acute Kidney Injury among Black Patients with Sickle Cell Trait and Sickle Cell Disease. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 16(3), 348–355. https://doi.org/10.2215/cjn.06960520