الفهرس 
Angiopoietin-2 as a marker of retinopathy in children with sickle cell disease & relation with subclinical atherosclerosis
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Abstract
Objectives: Sickle cell anemia is characterized by the predominance of sickle hemoglobin (HbS) leading to reduced deformability of the red blood cells, stagnant blood flow, vascular dysfunction, thrombosis, and ischemia. Sickle cell retinopathy (SCR) develops in up to 30% of sickle cell disease patients (SCD) during the second decade of life. Early detection and treatment of sickle retinopathy can prevent the progression to sight threatening complications.Angiopoietin-2 (Ang2) is a cytokine that functions in both angiogenesis and inflammation. We investigated Angiopoietin-2 as potential marker for screening of sickle retinopathy and subclinical atherosclerosis. Methods: this is a cross sectional study conducted on 65 SCA patients and 60 age- and gender- matched healthy controls. Blood samples were collected for Ang2 measurement by ELISA (pg/ml). Blood samples from 60 healthy individuals served as controls. Results: Ang2 was higher in cases than controls (P value 0.048), correlation analysis showed that ang2 was significantly associated with SCR (P value =0.002), Ang2 levels were significantly correlated with right CIMT (r = -0.450, p {u2264} 0.001), left CIMT (r = -0.421, p {u2264} 0.001), and serum ferritin (r = 0.391, p=0.001)