Sickle cell anemia in Brazil: personal, medical and endodontic patterns

Abstract

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is the most prevalent genetic disease worldwide. Recurrent vaso-occlusive infarcts predispose SCA patients to infections, which are the primary causes of morbidly and mortality. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between SCA and endodontic diseases. Personal information, medical data (hematological indices, virologic testing, blood transfusions, medications received, splenectomy) and information on the need for endodontic treatment were obtained from SCA patients who were registered and followed up by the Fundação Hemominas, Minas Gerais, Brazil.These data were compared with the need for root canal treatment in SCA patients. One hundred eight patients comprised the studied population, and the rate of the need for endodontic therapy was 10.2%. Among the medical data, a significant difference was observed for eosinophil (p = 0.045) counts and atypical lymphocyte counts (p = 0.036) when the groups (with and without the need for endodontic treatment) were compared. Statistical relevance was observed when comparing the patients with and without the need for root canal therapy concerned eosinophil counts and atypical lymphocyte counts. The differences in statistical medical data, observed between the groups suggest that both parameters are naturally connected to the stimulation of the immune system that can occur in the presence of root canal infections and that can be harmful to SCA individuals.

The need for endodontic treatment and systemic characteristics of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients

“…Rates varying from 1.8% to 13% were published for adolescents in Lithuania and Manhattan (USA), respectively. 32,33 The rates found in the present study are also somewhat higher than those obtained for individuals with sickle cell anemia (10.2%) 14 and HIV-seropositivity under HAART (14%), 13 which is fully consistent with the severe degree of immunosuppression exhibited by patients subjected to HSCT. Although HSCT is crucial for the improvement and survival of patients, infection after transplantation is a relevant cause of morbidity and mortality.…”

“…This finding disagrees with findings corresponding to individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and subjected to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and patients with aplastic anemia, most of whom are female (57.2% and 56.5%, respectively). 13,14 The median time from diagnosis to transplantation was rather long, approximately 12 months. In one retrospective study conducted in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, in 2013, 15 the time to transplantation was less than 12 months for the majority (62.9%) of patients (n = 278) subjected to allogeneic HSCT.…”

“…Analyses of the need for endodontic treatment of a given population are difficult to find in the international literature; 13,14 the same applies to cases of patients subjected to or to being subjected to HSCT. In the present study, 23.2% of the patients required endodontic intervention.…”

Experiences and Problems Encountered by Families of Children with Sickle Cell Anemia

“… 22 In our study, regular blood transfusions were performed in 77.2% of the children with SCA. In similar studies by Ferreira et al, 23 and Aloni and Nkee 2 blood transfusion rates of their patients were 68.5% and 74.0% respectively.Although the pain of sickle cell anemic patients is primarily nociceptive pain due to tissue damage; inflammable, throbbing, stabbing, tingling, numbing and tingling neuropathic pain can also be observed. 1 , 11 , 24 In our study, the parents reported that their children with SCA had complaints of complications related to the disease such as pain (98.5%), weakness and fatigue (60.7%) and respiratory failure (20.9%).…”

Association of sickle cell haemoglobinopathies with dental and jaw bone abnormalities

“…In hypoxic conditions, biochemical changes in the Hb molecule trigger the formation of polymers that lead to a change in the biconcave discoid configuration of red blood cells, thus causing a shape similar to a sickle (Ferreira et al., ; Kato et al., ). Consequently, sickled cells become less flexible and more adherent to the vascular endothelium, blocking capillaries and restricting blood flow to multiple organs and systems (Acharya, ; Kato et al., ).…”