Elevated Cerebral Blood Oxygen Extraction in Non-Transfused Sickle Cell Disease Patients

Introduction Chronic Transfusion Therapy (CTT) has been successful in decreasing stroke frequency in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Despite this, indication for CTT is largely based on empirical evidence and the mechanisms by which CTT protects the brain remain unclear. CTT improves oxygen carrying capacity and lowers hemoglobin S%, but the corresponding impact on cerebral blood flow(CBF), cerebral metabolic rate (CMRO₂), and oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) is unknown. Understanding the impact of these competing influences in non-transfused (NT) and chronically transfused (CT) SCD patients will inform stroke prevention. Thus, we measured CBF, CMRO₂, and OEF, in NT and CT patients with SCD using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods All patients were recruited with informed consent or assent and this study was approved by the CHLA IRB. Fourteen (6 NT, 8 CT) patients with SCD and 12 healthy ethnicity matched controls (CTL) were studied. Exclusion criteria included pregnancy, previous stroke, acute chest or pain crisis hospitalization within one month. Complete blood count and hemoglobin electrophoresis were performed. Arterial oxygen saturation (S_aO₂) was measured via peripheral pulse oximetery. C_aO₂ was calculated as the product of hemoglobin, S_aO₂ and the oxygen density of hemoglobin (1.36 ml/g). Phase contrast imaging of the carotid and vertebral arteries was used to measure global CBF. T2 Relaxation Under Spin Tagging (TRUST) was used to measured T2 relaxation of blood within the sagittal sinus. T2 relaxation was converted to S_vO₂ via previously validated calibration curves. OEF represented the difference of S_aO₂ andS_vO₂ divided byS_aO_2. CMRO₂ was calculated as the product of CBF and OEF. High resolution, 3D, T1 weighted images were used for brain volume calculation using BrainSuite^ñ software.

Results Table 1 summarizes the results. Hemoglobin and oxygen content were well matched between transfused and non transfused SCD patients. Cerebral metabolic rate was also nearly identical in the two groups. However, CT patients exhibited 25% higher CBF than NT SCD patients, allowing them to have a normal oxygen extraction fraction ~30%. In contrast, OEF in NT SCD patients was abnormally high (37.8%), suggesting a decreased extraction reserve. Total oxygenation index (TOI) by NIRS also trended lower in NT SCD patients, consistent with the greater oxygen extraction and lower cerebral venous saturations observed.

Discussion: Chronically transfused SCD patients achieve normal brain oxygenation metrics (S_vO₂, OEF, and NIRS) but require very high CBF to achieve this balance (lowering flow reserve). In contrast, NT SCD patients have smaller increases in CBF but require greater oxygen extraction to meet cerebrovascular demands (lowering extraction reserve). Hemoglobin S mediate changes in oxygen dissociation, blood viscosity, red cell deformability and microvascular damage potentially mediate these differences but their interplay is complicated and requires further study.