C-Reactive Protein Increases During Menstrual Cycle in Females With Sickle Cell Disease

TUESDAY, April 15, 2025 (HealthDay News) — For adults with sickle cell disease (SCD), C-reactive protein (CRP) levels increase significantly during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, according to a study published online April 9 in Blood Vessels, Thrombosis & Hemostasis.

Jessica Wu, M.D., from Penn Medicine in Philadelphia, and colleagues examined the relationship between CRP and menstrual cycle in female individuals with SCD. Frozen plasma samples were analyzed from reproductive-age adults with SCD. The menstrual cycle phase was estimated at the time of collection by measuring estradiol, progesterone, and luteinizing hormone levels in female patient samples.

The researchers found that CRP levels did not differ significantly by SCD genotype (SS and SC), hydroxyurea use, or sex. In female individuals with SCD, significantly higher CRP levels were seen during the follicular versus the luteal phase (8.80 versus 0.82 mg/L).

“These results suggest a cyclic pattern of inflammation across the menstrual cycle in females with SCD that may contribute to perimenstrual vaso-occlusive episodes,” the authors write. “These findings warrant prospective validation, exploration of the menstrual patterns of other markers associated with SCD pathophysiology, and correlation with clinical symptomatology.”

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