Vitamin B6, Vascular Dysfunction and Adhesion Molecules in Sickle Cell Disease

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by acute clinical manifestations, including painful crisis, acute chest syndrome, priapism, and stroke, as well as chronic irreversible damage to the heart, lungs, kidneys, eyes, spleen and femoral heads. Vascular injury and occlusion, primarily affecting the microvasculature, underlie most of these complications. Another characteristic of sickle cell patients, both adult and pediatric, is a high prevalence of low vitamin B6 status (exceeding 50%), as indicated by low plasma pyridoxal-5'- phosphate levels (