Long-term Comparative Cerebrovascular Outcome After Transplantation vs Standard Care in Sickle Cell Anemia

The present observational study has the objective to reevaluate at distance the cohort of 67 children with sickle cell anemia enrolled in the "Drepagreffe"trial because of cerebral vasculopathy detected by transcranial Doppler. Results at 1 and 3 years were reported in JAMA in 2019 in BHJ in 2020. This trial was the first worldwide prospective study comparing transplantation to standard care in sickle cell disease. Velocities were highly significantly more reduced with a higher proportion of patients with normalized velocities and better quality of life after transplantation than on standard care. Despite a trend to a better ischemic lesions outcome at 3 years, the difference was not significant and cognitive performances were not different between both groups. The biologic study only assessed at enrollment and 1-year showed lower levels of Ang-2 and HGF (hepatocyte growth factor) after transplant and a significant and independent association between Doppler normalization probability with low Ang-2 and BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) levels.The aim of the present study is to reassess at 9-10 years this cohort with grants allowing to reevaluate cognitive functioning and hypoxia/angiogenic factors not realized in the systematic cohort follow-up