Effect of Methanolic Extract of Cassia Fistula to Prevent Erythrocyte Sickling

Introduction: Due to the pathophysiology of Sickle cell disease (SCD), several treatment strategies have been reviewed so far. One of the strategies is anti-sickling factors. This study was performed to determine the effect of methanolic extract of Cassia Fistula fruit on sickle cell sickling in vitro. Methods: In this laboratory study, 25 people with sickle cell trait (SCT) ranging in age from 3 to 27 years, and 5 healthy people (as a control) participated. Cassia Fistula was introduced by Dr. Mohammad Taha Jalali to be used in this project. Methanolic extract of Cassia Fistula fruit was obtained by maceration using vacuum distillation (rotary evaporator). Samples with sickle cell trait were examined for sickle cell before and after extract interference, in hypoxic condition. Data analysis was performed by SPSS software version16. Results: In this study, 64% of the participants were male and 36% were female.  Sickling rates in 1:50, 1: 100 and 1: 200 dilutions were 24%, 37.8% and 46.1%, respectively. According to Wilcoxon Test, the rate of sickling in 1: 2 to 1: 100 dilutions was significantly reduced, relative to pre-interference conditions (P <0.05). Conclusion: In the present study, it was shown that the methanolic extract of Cassia Fistula plant can prevent erythrocyte sickling in vitro, even with a dilution of 1: 100. According to previous studies, this plant has various therapeutic uses and is non-toxic. Therefore, this extract can be further studied in clinical and in vivo conditions as a useful and cost-effective therapeutic drug

The Rh blood group system and its role in alloimmunization rate among sickle cell disease and sickle thalassemia patients in Iran

Abstract Introduction The alloimmunization following blood transfusion can be life‐threatening. The Rh alloantibodies are one of the most common causes contributing to alloimmunization. This study aimed to evaluate the rate and causes of alloimmunization and to determine the Rh phenotypes and genotypes among sickle cell disease (SCD) and sickle thalassemia (Sβ). Materials and Methods Our study included 104 SCD and Sβ patients referring to Baghaei 2 Hospital of Ahvaz in 2019 using a non‐random simple sampling method. The blood samples were collected for Rh phenotypes, alloantibody screening and identification, and molecular tests. The SSP‐PCR and RFLP methods with the Pst 1 enzyme were used. Results The alloimmunization rate was 9.6% and 13.2% based on immunohematological tests and medical records, respectively. The main alloantibodies (90%) were anti‐Rh, and 40% of the patients had multiple alloantibodies. A significant correlation was found between gender and alloimmunization. The phenotypes of DCce (37.5%), DCcEe (24%), Dce (20.2%), and dce (5.8%) and genotypes of R1r (25%), R1R2 (20.2%), R1R1 (18.3%), and R1R0 (10.6%) were the most prevalent. The R1R2 was a frequent genotype in Sβ. Conclusion R0r′ and R1R0 genotypes were limited to our population in Iran. Due to the differences in RH genotypes between our population and others, the blood transfusion from other ethnicities increased our total alloimmunization rate