Microbiome implicated in sickle cell disease

SCD patient samples

Finally, the researchers investigated whether their findings in mice might be relevant to humans with SCD.

The team obtained blood samples from 9 healthy children and 34 patients with SCD. Eleven patients were taking penicillin daily to ward off infections, as is recommended for children with SCD who are 5 years of age or younger. The other 23 patients with SCD had been off penicillin for at least 2 months.

Consistent with the findings in mice, children with SCD who were not taking penicillin had many more circulating aged neutrophils than the healthy children.

The investigators then compared neutrophil levels in the 2 groups of children with SCD—those taking penicillin and those not on the drug—and found a much lower number of aged neutrophils in the blood of those who were taking penicillin.

“Daily penicillin for patients with SCD younger than 5 works really well in preventing infections,” Dr Frenette said. “Our study suggests that penicillin and other antibiotics could play an even broader role in potentially benefiting older patients.”

“[W]e hope to carry out a clinical trial to determine whether antibiotics can help patients with SCD by preventing the sickle cell crisis and long-term organ damage associated with the disease.”