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Treatment for sickle cell disease may help protect patients' kidney function

Date:
November 19, 2015
Source:
American Society of Nephrology
Summary:
After six months of treatment with hydroxyurea, sickle cell disease patients' kidney function, as measured by the urinary albumin/creatine ratio, improved significantly, report investigators at the conclusion of their recent study.
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A drug used to treat sickle cell disease may provide an added benefit of protecting patients' kidney function, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

Sickle cell disease, a blood disorder, can impact the function of the kidneys, and the earliest sign of kidney damage in affected patients is albuminuria, or the presence of albumin in the urine.

Hydroxyurea (HU), which makes red blood cells more flexible, is one of the cornerstones of sickle cell disease treatment, but its effects on kidney function are unclear. To investigate, Pablo Bartolucci, MD, PhD, Vincent Audard, MD, PhD (Université Paris-Est Créteil, in France), and their colleagues studied 58 adults with sickle cell disease who were starting HU therapy. After 6 months of treatment, patients' kidney function, as measured by the urinary albumin/creatine ratio, improved significantly.

"The findings offer further evidence, albeit not yet definitive, of a potential renal benefit of HU, and should strengthen arguments favoring its use in sickle cell disease for other indications and encouraging patient adherence to this drug," said Dr. Bartolucci. "Our preliminary results require additional larger, prospective, randomized, controlled trials to clearly demonstrate the positive effect of HU to reduce albuminuria levels and delay chronic kidney disease progression," added Dr. Audard.


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Materials provided by American Society of Nephrology. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Pablo Bartolucci, Anoosha Habibi, Thomas Stehlé, Gaetana Di Liberto, Marie Georgine Rakotoson, Justine Gellen-Dautremer, Sylvain Loric, Stéphane Moutereau, Dil Sahali, Orianne Wagner-Ballon, Philippe Remy, Philippe Lang, Philippe Grimbert, Etienne Audureau, Bertrand Godeau, Frédéric Galacteros, and Vincent Audard. Six Months of Hydroxyurea Reduces Albuminuria in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, November 2015 DOI: 10.1681/ASN.2014111126

Cite This Page:

American Society of Nephrology. "Treatment for sickle cell disease may help protect patients' kidney function." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 19 November 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151119211412.htm>.
American Society of Nephrology. (2015, November 19). Treatment for sickle cell disease may help protect patients' kidney function. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151119211412.htm
American Society of Nephrology. "Treatment for sickle cell disease may help protect patients' kidney function." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151119211412.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

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