Sickle Cell Trait in Football Players
| Status: | Completed |
|---|---|
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 18 - Any |
| Updated: | 4/2/2016 |
| Start Date: | October 2012 |
| End Date: | December 2015 |
| Contact: | Carroll N Flansburg, in progress |
| Email: | cflansbu@mail.usf.edu |
| Phone: | 8025851054 |
Is Sickle Cell Trait as Benign as is Usually Assumed?
This study will look at the five different types of sickle cell and their relation to
self-reported ill health to determine whether or not one or two of the sickle cell
haplotypes are correlated with worse health outcomes. Participants can do complete the study
in under half an hour in the privacy of their own home.
self-reported ill health to determine whether or not one or two of the sickle cell
haplotypes are correlated with worse health outcomes. Participants can do complete the study
in under half an hour in the privacy of their own home.
Sickle cell anemia is a disease which results from the inheritance of two hemoglobin S (Hb
S) genes. Sickle-cell anemia individuals are referred to as Hb SS patients, and are known to
suffer from a variety of life-threatening symptoms. Paramount in the clinical complications
of sickle cell patients is the "sickle-cell crisis". If a crisis is not stopped by prompt
medical attention, it may result in death. It is becoming increasingly clear that some
sickle cell anemic patients have more benign clinical profiles than do others. The genetic
reason for such clinical differences has been well determined: although the mutation that
changes the "normal" hemoglobin gene is the same in all patients, the genetic material
outside of the gene influences how the gene is expressed. This genetic material is referred
to as the beta-globin haplotype. Carriers of the sickle cell gene are referred to as Hb AS
individuals. Hb AS carriers usually have a normal life free of the clinical problems
associated with the disease suffered by sickle cell patients. However, it is becoming
increasingly clear that under strenuous situations, some Hb AS carriers do experience heat
illness and other life threatening problems while others do not. The purpose of this project
is to determine if there is a genetic reason for why some athlete carriers of the sickle
cell trait experience heat illness, while others do not. Although the genetic reason for the
different clinical outcomes of sickle cell anemic patients is now well understood (different
haplotypes result in different disease courses), the possibility that the same haplotypes
might be the reason why some sickle cell carriers have worse clinical profiles has never
been explored. In this project we will work with a sickle-cell trait registry of athletes,
and we will test the haplotypes of Hb AS athletes who have and who have not had heat
illness. Our study is the first to attempt to clarify if there is a genetic reason for this
occurrence. Total participation time for the study is thirty minutes or less. Information
provided by the participant will be analyzed within one year of participation. Deidentified
results will be kept for five years, per the University of South Florida's Institutional
Review Board protocol, and will be available upon request to the principal investigator.
Participants can do complete the study in under half an hour in the privacy of their own
home.
S) genes. Sickle-cell anemia individuals are referred to as Hb SS patients, and are known to
suffer from a variety of life-threatening symptoms. Paramount in the clinical complications
of sickle cell patients is the "sickle-cell crisis". If a crisis is not stopped by prompt
medical attention, it may result in death. It is becoming increasingly clear that some
sickle cell anemic patients have more benign clinical profiles than do others. The genetic
reason for such clinical differences has been well determined: although the mutation that
changes the "normal" hemoglobin gene is the same in all patients, the genetic material
outside of the gene influences how the gene is expressed. This genetic material is referred
to as the beta-globin haplotype. Carriers of the sickle cell gene are referred to as Hb AS
individuals. Hb AS carriers usually have a normal life free of the clinical problems
associated with the disease suffered by sickle cell patients. However, it is becoming
increasingly clear that under strenuous situations, some Hb AS carriers do experience heat
illness and other life threatening problems while others do not. The purpose of this project
is to determine if there is a genetic reason for why some athlete carriers of the sickle
cell trait experience heat illness, while others do not. Although the genetic reason for the
different clinical outcomes of sickle cell anemic patients is now well understood (different
haplotypes result in different disease courses), the possibility that the same haplotypes
might be the reason why some sickle cell carriers have worse clinical profiles has never
been explored. In this project we will work with a sickle-cell trait registry of athletes,
and we will test the haplotypes of Hb AS athletes who have and who have not had heat
illness. Our study is the first to attempt to clarify if there is a genetic reason for this
occurrence. Total participation time for the study is thirty minutes or less. Information
provided by the participant will be analyzed within one year of participation. Deidentified
results will be kept for five years, per the University of South Florida's Institutional
Review Board protocol, and will be available upon request to the principal investigator.
Participants can do complete the study in under half an hour in the privacy of their own
home.
Inclusion Criteria:
- over the age of 18
- male
- has previously played or currently plays high school or college football
- carries sickle cell trait
Exclusion Criteria:
- under the age of 18
- female
- does not carry sickle cell trait
- has not played or does not play high school or college football
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