| Grant number: | 12/22043-0 |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct) |
| Effective date (Start): | April 01, 2013 |
| Effective date (End): | September 30, 2013 |
| Field of knowledge: | Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics |
| Principal Investigator: | Nicola Amanda Conran Zorzetto |
| Grantee: | Vanessa Tonin Garrido |
| Supervisor: | Swee Lay Thein |
| Host Institution: | Centro de Hematologia e Hemoterapia (HEMOCENTRO). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil |
| Research place: | King's College London, England |
| Associated to the scholarship: | 11/17553-7 - Expression of the inflammatory cytokine light in platelets of Sickle Cell disease patients: evaluation of activation of leukocytes and endothelial cells, BP.DD |
Abstract Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a hereditary hemoglobinopathy resulted from a mutation in the beta-globin gene. This simple monogenic event is responsible for a systemic disorder of enormous complexity that affects multiple organs. The vaso-occlusive crisis is a major cause of morbidity in SCA and result from the interaction of inflammatory cytokines, activated blood cells and vascular endothelium. Platelets appear to play an important role in this process, because when activated platelets express and secrete inflammatory mediators that induce an inflammatory response in both leukocytes and endothelial cells. Recently, our research group identified that platelets appear to contribute to the production of the pro-inflammatory protein LIGHT in sickle cell anaemia. It was also observed that plasma levels of LIGHT presented a significant correlation with CD40L, IL-8 and ICAM-1, suggesting that this platelet-derived protein may participate in, or reflect, endothelial activation. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate plasma levels of LIGHT and CD40L in sickle cell disease patients during vaso-occlusion crisis or not. It will also be investigated whether there is any association between high levels of plasma LIGHT or CD40L with the adhesive properties of platelets from sickle cell patients on endothelial cells. Through this study, we hope to better understand the role of platelet-derived inflammatory mediators in the pathophysiology of sickle cell anemia and vaso-occlusive process. (AU) | |
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