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BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article

Front. Pain Res.
Sec. Pharmacological Treatment of Pain
Volume 5 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpain.2024.1391666
This article is part of the Research Topic Current Treatment Strategies And Integrative Medicine For Management of Pain in Sickle Cell Disease View all 5 articles

Arginine supplementation improves Lactate Dehydrogenase levels in steady-state sickle cell patients: preliminary findings from Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo

Provisionally accepted
NGONDE MAMBAKASA Ange Christian NGONDE MAMBAKASA Ange Christian 1*Philippe LUKANU NGUALA Philippe LUKANU NGUALA 1Michel ALONI NTETANI Michel ALONI NTETANI 2Ange MUBIALA Ange MUBIALA 3*
  • 1 Protestant's University of Congo, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
  • 2 University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
  • 3 Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (République démocratique du Congo), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) disrupts oxygen transport due to the abnormal shape and rigidity of red blood cells, leading to hemolysis. Hemolysis, a major co-morbidity in SCD, is indicated by elevated levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Arginine depletion, which is essential for nitric oxide (NO) synthesis, contributes to various complications in SCD. L-arginine supplementation may increase NO levels and reduce oxidative stress. Research on its benefits in SCD, which is prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, is limited. This study evaluates the effect of arginine supplementation on LDH levels in patients with steady state SCD.Methods: In a retrospective study, we evaluated the effect of arginine supplementation on LDH levels in a cohort of 31 patients. We divided the study into three phases: pre-HU treatment, HU treatment, and combined HU and arginine supplementation.The cohort had a median age of 12 years, ranging from 2 to 43 years. Throughout all three phases of the study, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were consistently above the established normal ranges, with elevations of 216.7%, 220.3% and 176.6% above the normative values for baseline, Phase 1 (HU) and Phase 2 (HU+Arg), respectively. Specifically, LDH levels were 649.

    Keywords: Sickle Cell Disease, L-arginine, Hydroxyurea, LDH, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

    Received: 26 Feb 2024; Accepted: 30 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 MAMBAKASA Ange Christian, LUKANU NGUALA, ALONI NTETANI and MUBIALA. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    NGONDE MAMBAKASA Ange Christian, Protestant's University of Congo, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
    Ange MUBIALA, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (République démocratique du Congo), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

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