Plasma levels of platelet and vascular prostaglandin derivatives in children with sickle cell anaemia.

Platelet and vascular endothelial prostaglandin derivatives were measured by radioimmunoassay in the plasma of 39 children with homozygous sickle cell anaemia and 27 control subjects. The levels of both thromboxane B2 and 6-keto-PGF1alpha, the stable end-products of platelet and vascular prostaglandin metabolism, were significantly (p less than 0.001) greater in sickle cell anaemia plasma than in the plasma of the controls. There were no differences in levels of either 6-keto-PGF1alpha or thromboxane B2 between steady state and vaso-occlusive crisis in the sickle cell patients. Injury to the endothelial lining of blood vessels may occur in sickle cell anaemia as a consequence of contact with the abnormal erythrocytes.