Effect of Caffeine on the Polymerization of HbS and Sickling Rate/Osmotic Fragility of HbS Erythrocytes

The effect of exogenous caffeine on human hemoglobin-S (HbS) erythrocytes was investigated in vitro, using caffeine concentrations in millimole per liter (0.0mM-10mM) on three criteria; osmotic fragility, sickling rate and polymerization effects. The determinations were carried out on different age groups from infancy through adolescence. The result obtained demonstrated that caffeine could hasten sickling as well as fragility of HbS erythrocytes in a concentration - dependent manner. For instance at an optimum caffeine concentration of 10mM and saline concentration of 5g/l, red cell lysis increased by 90% relative to the control (0.00mM caffeine). At the same optimum concentration of 10mM, caffeine also increased HbS erythrocyte sickling and HbS gelation by 65.00% and 83.78% respectively after 10 mins of incubation with 2% sodium metabisulphite. Based on these observations; caffeine concentration in plasma might proffer marked increase in erythrocyte sickling in vivo, and consequently, slow recovery from a sickling crisis. This result could prove useful towards the management of sickle call disease (SCD). @ JASEM