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Alan S, Sharma D, Pecker LH. Prophylactic red cell transfusions for sickle cell disease pregnancy: increased use of therapy could transform outcomes. Curr Opin Hematol 2024; 31:285-293. [PMID: 39177058 PMCID: PMC11427169 DOI: 10.1097/moh.0000000000000837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Pregnancy for people with sickle cell disease (SCD) is high risk with persistently high rates of severe maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity. Transfusion therapy is the best-studied treatment for SCD in pregnancy; hydroxyurea is not usually used because of teratogenicity concerns. In high-resource settings, red cell transfusions are likely underutilized, while in low-resource settings, they may be altogether unavailable. RECENT FINDINGS A randomized controlled trial and meta-analysis, two of the strongest forms of clinical research, show transfusion significantly reduces maternal and fetal death, painful crisis, thrombosis, and acute respiratory failure. Downstream benefits of treatment are less well measured and may include improving maternal anemia, reducing opioid exposure, and avoiding hospitalization, which presents risk for additional complications. Alloimmunization is a particular transfusion risk in SCD. However, many strategies can mitigate this risk. Accordingly, the American Society of Hematology classifies chronic transfusion in pregnancy as low risk. SUMMARY Given the low risk classification, lack of alternative therapies, dismal, stagnant pregnancy outcomes and the potential for profound treatment benefit, wider use of chronic transfusion therapy for SCD pregnancy is likely indicated. This review discusses the benefits and potential risks of prophylactic transfusions for SCD pregnancy. Use of chronic transfusions during pregnancy is indicated to help urgently transform outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheinei Alan
- INOVA Adult Sickle Cell Program, Inova Schar Cancer Institute, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Deva Sharma
- Division of Transfusion Medicine, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville TN, USA
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Lydia H. Pecker
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Valentini CG, Pellegrino C, Ceglie S, Arena V, Di Landro F, Chiusolo P, Teofili L. Red Blood Cell Exchange as a Valid Therapeutic Approach for Pregnancy Management in Sickle Cell Disease: Three Explicative Cases and Systematic Review of Literature. J Clin Med 2023; 12:7123. [PMID: 38002735 PMCID: PMC10672461 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12227123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy in women with sickle cell disease (SCD) is a high-risk situation, especially during the third trimester of gestation and in the post-partum period, due to chronic hypoxia and vaso-occlusive phenomena occurring in the maternal-fetal microcirculation: as a result, unfavorable outcomes, such as intra-uterine growth restriction, prematurity or fetal loss are more frequent in SCD pregnancies. Therefore, there is a consensus on the need for a strict and multidisciplinary follow-up within specialized structures. Transfusion support remains the mainstay of treatment of SCD pregnancies, whereas more targeted modalities are still controversial: the benefit of prophylactic management, either by simple transfusions or by automated red blood cell exchange (aRBCX), is not unanimously recognized. We illustrate the cases of three SCD pregnant patients who underwent aRBCX procedures at our institution in different clinical scenarios. Moreover, we carried out a careful literature revision to investigate the management of pregnancy in SCD, with a particular focus on the viability of aRBCX. Our experience and the current literature support the use of aRBCX in pregnancy as a feasible and safe procedure, provided that specialized equipment and an experienced apheresis team is available. However, further research in this high-risk population, with appropriately powered prospective trials, is desirable to refine the indications and timing of aRBCX and to confirm the advantages of this approach on other transfusion modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Giovanna Valentini
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Pellegrino
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Sezione di Ematologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche ed Ematologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Ceglie
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Sezione di Ematologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche ed Ematologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Arena
- Sezione di Patologia, Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Istituto di Anatomia Patologica, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Di Landro
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Sezione di Ematologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche ed Ematologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Chiusolo
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Sezione di Ematologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche ed Ematologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Luciana Teofili
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Sezione di Ematologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche ed Ematologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
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