Pattern of Hemoglobin F in Children with Sickle Cell Disease Attending a Tertiary Hospital in Southwest Nigeria

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common form of an inherited haemoglobinopathy, accounting for about 70% of the world’s major haemoglobinopathies, and the greatest burden is in sub-Saharan Africa. Fetal haemoglobin (HbF) delays the polymerization of Sickle cell disease. In Nigeria, there is no recent data on the levels of haemoglobin F and its association with SCD. Aim: This study evaluated the levels of HbF of 76 children with SCD attending Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and correlated the levels with their age. Methods: Using a BIO-RAD D10 hgh-performance liquid chromatography machine, HbF levels of seventy-six (76) SCD children 70 HbSS and 6 HbSC was determined. The relationship between HbF levels and SCD was assessed using the SPSS version 22.0 (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) for statistical analysis. Result: The mean HbF of the 76 participants with SCD was (12.9 ± 5.57). The mean HBF level was significantly higher in children aged 0-5 years (14.83 ± 4.65) was significantly higher than older age group (6-10 years = 6.78 ± 1.93; 11-15 years = 4.74 ± 1.14; > 15 years = 4.37 ± 1.01), p = 0.000. There was a negative correlation between HBF and age of participants (r = -0.7942) Conclusion: There is an inverse relationship between HbF level and the age of children with SCD. HBF levels are highest in children between 0-5 years compared to older age groups. This finding will assist clinicians especially in the need for HBF-inducing agents such as hydroxyurea in managing these children.