Microparticles as biomarkers of osteonecrosis of the hip in sickle cell disease

Summary Osteonecrosis of the femoral head ( ONFH ) is a common complication of sickle cell disease ( SCD ). To examine the association between microparticles and ONFH in SCD , we compared plasma microparticle levels in 20 patients with and without ONFH . Microparticles were quantified using nanoparticle tracking analysis and found to be 2·3‐fold higher in patients with ONFH compared to patients without ONFH , and 2·5‐fold higher than in healthy controls. These results suggest that microparticles may be a clinically useful biomarker of ONFH in SCD . Further investigations are needed to determine the functional relevance of microparticles in the pathogenesis of ONFH in SCD .