Laser speckle contrast imaging characterizes delayed reperfusion after transient brachial artery occlusion in patients with sickle cell disease

Wednesday, October 10, 2012 — Poster Session II
Noon – 2:00 p.m	Natcher Conference Center, Building 45	NIAID	CLIN/TRANS-14

Authors

• A.K. Ikeda
• T.C. Anaebere
• N. Malik
• M.D. Antalek
• M.L. Seidel
• C. Seamon
• G.J. Kato
• A.M. Gorbach
• H.C. Ackerman

Abstract

The pathophysiology of sickle cell disease (SCD) involves peripheral vascular dysfunction, which may be easier to assess and more suitable for epidemiologic or interventional studies of SCD. In our study, we used two-dimensional laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) to assess the cutaneous microvascular blood flow response in adults with SCD after five minutes of brachial artery occlusion. Nine subjects with SCD were enrolled and compared against nine healthy African-American control subjects matched for age, sex, ethnicity, and body mass index. Cutaneous blood flow was directly measured using LCSI at baseline, during and after a standard brachial artery occlusion-reperfusion maneuver. We performed measurements on each individual on two separate days, and compared the microvascular blood flow responses between the groups using two-way ANOVA with repeated measures. Compared to healthy controls, patients with SCD have greater baseline microvascular blood flow but similar maximal blood flow during reperfusion. However, patients with SCD differ significantly from healthy controls in the time to reach maximal blood flow and the time to return to baseline, both of which are prolonged in patients with SCD. This may reflect delayed or impaired endothelial responses to shear stress and/or greater viscosity of blood.

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