Prothrombotic role of antiphospholipid antibodies in a patient with sickle cell disease

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a common inherited condition in African, Caribbean, and Mediterranean countries. SCD is a hematologic disorder caused by a well-characterized point mutation in the β-globin gene, which produces an abnormal hemoglobin S that results in the sickling of red blood cells in deoxygenated conditions. Patients with SCD display a “hypercoagulation state” leading to an increased risk of severe venous and arterial thrombotic vascular events. Herein we report a case of severe thrombotic complications in a patient with SCD who showed high antiphospholipid antibodies (APA) levels during vascular occlusions.