View clinical trials related to Sickle Cell Disease.
Filter by:Sickle Cell Anemia is caused by an inherited hemoglobin disorder. Healthy red blood cells are discoid and can deform and move through small blood vessels to carry oxygen to all parts of the body. In sickle cell disease, as red blood cells circulate and oxygen is released in the circulatory system, the deoxygenated abnormal hemoglobin S can begin to polymerize. When this occurs, the red blood cells can become sticky and elongated. These sickled red blood cells are less flexible and will obstruct small blood vessels and block normal red blood cells from traveling through the circulatory system, which limits oxygen delivery to tissues and organs. This is known as a "sickle crisis". Patients suffering from a sickle crisis experience severe pain and are at risk of stroke, heart attack or even death. By lowering the level of oxygen pressure at which sickling occurs and opening the vasculature and rapidly delivering oxygen directly to ischemic tissues, the addition of MP4CO to existing treatment protocols may alleviate pain associated with a sickle cell crisis, abort a crisis and/or potentially reduce the duration of a crisis. This could mean less time in the hospital and an improved quality of life for patients with sickle cell anemia.
Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is very common among African American adolescents and adults in the US, ten times higher than is seen in Caucasians. VDD is also quite common in sickle cell disease (SCD). Both VDD and SCD can cause chronic pain, compression fractures, and muscle weakness. The investigators believe VDD may contribute to poor musculoskeletal health and chronic pain seen in pediatric SCD. In this study, the investigators aim to show that children and adolescents with SCD and chronic pain have lower levels of vitamin D compared to those without chronic pain. The investigators also aim to determine the clinical characteristics in SCD patients related to their vitamin D status. About 60 subjects (7 to 21 years old) will be enrolled on this study, 30 with chronic pain and 30 without chronic pain. The investigators will assess baseline characteristics including vitamin D levels, bone turnover rates (measured by C telopeptide blood levels [CTx]), markers of inflammation and oxidative stress levels in blood, baseline hemoglobin and other laboratory parameters, presence of abnormal bones on chest x-ray, pulmonary function, opioid analgesic use, overall muscle strength, quality of life and depression. To evaluate the impact of vitamin D replacement on these baseline characteristics, the investigators will randomize subjects to receive either placebo or high dose vitamin D for 6 weeks after which time the investigators will evaluate overall vitamin D status, muscle and bone health, depression, quality of life, pain status and use of opioid pain medications, inflammation and oxidative status comparing before and after treatment with high dose vitamin D. The investigators will give-at no cost to subjects-a daily supplement that will provide the recommended daily allowance of calcium and vitamin D that contains 500mg Calcium and 200IU vitamin D to subjects throughout the study period. Subjects will be in the study for 7 months and have five to six study visits.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of three dose levels of HQK-1001 administered once daily for 26 weeks in subjects with sickle cell disease.
Background: - Chronic leg ulcers are a complication of many blood disorders such as sickle cell disease, thalassemia, and other red blood cell disorders. In these disorders, red blood cells break down earlier than normal, which researchers suspect may cause or contribute to the development of leg ulcers; however, the exact cause is unknown, and current therapies are not very effective. Researchers are interested in determining if a research cream made with sodium nitrite, a substance that is known to increase blood flow by dilating blood vessels, may speed up the healing of skin ulcers. Objectives: - To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of topical sodium nitrite cream as a treatment for chronic leg ulcers in individuals with sickle cell disease or other red blood cell disorders. Eligibility: - Individuals at least 18 years of age who have sickle cell disease or another red cell disorder and have had a leg ulcer for more than 4 weeks. Design: - Participants will be screened with a physical examination, medical history, blood tests, and an examination of the ulcer, including x-ray of the leg(s) with the ulcer and swabs from the wound. - Participants will be scheduled for a 5-day inpatient stay at the Clinical Center, with the following procedures: - Days 1 and 2: Participants will have blood draws, a wound assessment, ultrasound of the affected leg, imaging studies (magnetic resonance imaging and infrared photography), thermo-patch application to monitor temperature changes, measurements of blood flow in the skin, and questionnaires about pain and quality of life. An optional skin biopsy may also be conducted with samples taken near the skin ulcer - Day 3: Participants will have one ulcer treated with the topical cream. Frequent blood draws will be conducted before application and then regularly for up to 6 hours after application of the cream. Thirty minutes after the research cream is applied, participants will have imaging studies of the treated leg and measurements of pain levels and blood flow. - Day 4: Participants will have a blood draw and temperature recordings taken. - Day 5: Participants will have the research cream applied and the same imaging studies as before, and will be discharged for care at home. - For the following 3 weeks, participants will come to the clinical center twice a week to have the research cream applied to the leg ulcer and tests performed by the study researchers. - For the fourth and final week, participants will return for additional cream treatment sessions, imaging studies, blood draws, and other tests as directed by the study researchers. - Study participation will end in the following week (week 5). Subjects will come for a final visit one month after the end of the study.
Fludarabine is a chemotherapy drug used extensively in bone marrow transplantation. The goal of this study is to determine what causes some children to have different drug concentrations of fludarabine in their bodies and if drug levels are related to whether or not a child experiences severe side-effects during their bone marrow transplant. The hypothesis is that clinical and genetic factors cause changes in fludarabine drug levels in pediatric bone marrow transplant patients and that high levels may cause severe side-effects.
The purpose of this study is to examine how abnormal blood flow in the small vessels (microvessels) of the heart, muscle and kidney in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) or sickle cell disease leads to poor functioning of the heart and kidney. To test this question, the investigators will perform imaging tests (contrast ultrasound perfusion imaging) to look at the flow and function of these microvessels and compare this information to heart and kidney function. To further look at this question, patients who have PNH will be studied before and after starting a new drug (Soliris) that decreases damage to blood cells. In patients with sickle cell disease, patients will be studied at baseline (not during a pain crisis) and also during a pain crisis if one develops.
This pilot study aims to answer the question whether monthly oral vitamin D3 supplementation, 100,000 IU, will be safe and effective in raising serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (form of vitamin D measured in the blood) to levels considered sufficient (30 ng/mL) but well below the threshold for toxicity (150 ng/mL) in children with sickle cell disease. Information from this study will be crucial before we perform a larger clinical trial to determine the effects of vitamin D in reducing respiratory complications in patients with sickle cell disease.
The proposed research project will continue the application and development of a new method (biomagnetic susceptometry) that measures magnetic fields to determine how much iron is in the liver. The amount of iron in the liver is the best indicator of the amount of iron in the whole body. Measuring the amount of iron in the body is important because either too much (iron overload) or too little iron (iron deficiency) can be harmful. At present, the most reliable way to measure the amount of iron in the liver is to remove a sample of the liver by biopsy, either by surgery or by using a needle which pierces the skin and liver. Iron stored in the liver can be magnetized to a small degree when placed in a magnetic field. In patients with iron overload, the investigators previous studies have shown that magnetic measurements of liver iron in patients with iron overload are quantitatively equivalent to biochemical determinations on tissue obtained by biopsy. In the past the investigators have developed a device to measure the amount of magnetization, which was called a SQUID (Superconducting QUantum Interference Device) susceptometer. This device was validated and in use for over 20 years. The safety, ease, rapidity and comfort of magnetic measurements make frequent, serial studies technically feasible and practically acceptable to patients. The investigators have now developed a new susceptometer, which uses very similar technology to the SQUID, but the investigators believe is more accurate and precise. This study aims to validate this new instrument. The investigators will do prospective, serial studies of the diagnosis and management of patients with iron overload, including thalassemia major (Cooley's anemia), sickle cell disease, aplastic anemia, myelodysplasia, hereditary hemochromatosis, and other disorders. Funding Source - FDA OOPD.
The purpose of this research study is to determine the frequency and severity of iron overload in patients with Sickle Cell Anemia and its relationship to blood vessel function. The investigators hypothesize that intermittent transfusions that these patients receive during hospitalizations produces significant iron overload and impairs blood vessel relaxation.
A long term observational study in sickle cell disease will enhance the understanding of the disease patterns, current transfusion practices, treatments and outcomes in sickle cell disease.