Abstract:
Sickle cell anemia is life threat disease and presence of HbS in
homozygous state (SS) influences the red cell stability and rate
of survival; this prospective case control analytical and
descriptive study to assess the effect of omega-3
supplementation in Sudanese patients with sickle cell anemia.
Patients aged 5–35 years with HbSS, who were undergoing
regular follow-up at the outpatient Sickle Cell Disease Referral
Clinic, Ibn-Aoaf Pediatrics and Khartoum Teaching Hospitals,
Khartoum (Sudan) from March 2013 up to June 2013. Seventy
eight patients recruited from a single center they have randomly
assigned to receive omega-3 fatty supplementation for at least
two year.
Identification of control group of thirty five individuals have been
selected randomly.5ml of venous blood was collected, into
Ethylene Di-amine Tetra-acetic Acid (EDTA) bottles and was used
to determine complete blood counts (CBC) within 2 hours of
collection using Sysmex KN-21 N, while the remainder was used
to prepare haemolysate for haemoglobin electrophoresis and for
reticulocyte count. Among the study; hemolytic variables were
compared between both groups and revealed that there is
significant difference in mean Hb (g/dl) between omega-3 group
(7.7 ± 1.4) and group free of omega-3 (6.6 ± 0.69) (P.value <
0.0001), also the differences were significant among Total Red
Blood Cells count X 103 C/Ml (2.7 ± 0.57 / 2.5 ± 0.4), hematocrit %
(22.7 ± 4.2 / 21.2 ± 2.3), and Mean Cell Hemoglobin pg (28.9 ± 3.1 /
27.0 ± 3.5) (P.value < 0.05) In contrast there is no difference in / 6.8 ± 5.58 ( levels between study groups at Mean Cell Volume fl
/ 2.2 ± 9.33( % 86.9 ± 9.8) and Mean Cell Hemoglobin Concentration
33.6 ± 1.2) (P.value < 0.05) as well as sex and age had no
.difference between study group and control group
Studying bone marrow activity among the study groups by using
Retics count and Reticulocyte production index with significant
< decrease in omega-3 group compared to control group (P.value
0.0001) and this mean decrease erythropoiesis and thus
haemolysis. These findings suggest that omega-3 fatty acids can
be an effective, safe, and affordable therapy for sickle cell
.anemia