# OVARIAN RESERVE IN POST-MENARCHAL FEMALES WITH SICKLE CELL ANEMIA

> **NIH NIH K23** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $198,065

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Reproductive health decisions for women with sickle cell anemia (SCA) a congenital hemolytic
anemia that causes multi-organ injury and early death, are limited by a lack of data to inform
contraception choices, pregnancy management or fertility risks. In SCA, the ovaries may be
injured by oxidative and hypoxic-ischemic injury. Hydroxyurea (HU), a medication used to treat
SCA as early as 9 months of age, may affect fertility negatively. In a study evaluating ovarian
reserve in girls with SCA treated with HU, 8 of 33 HU-treated subjects had diminished ovarian
reserve, which was associated with older age and longer duration of HU use. This data supports
that ovarian reserve is compromised in some patients, but the contributions of SCA, SCA
complications or SCA treatments are unknown.
To optimize SCA patient care and to better understand this reproductive biology, carefully
designed studies of ovarian reserve that assess disease phenotype and treatment are needed.
The goal of this research is to conduct a methodologically rigorous evaluation of ovarian reserve
in women with SCA to assess whether SCA or its treatments are associated with diminished
ovarian reserve. This evidence will help clinicians manage patients considering the risks of
untreated SCA against the known and theorized risks of SCA therapies.
The proposed study will investigate whether clinical features of SCA or its primary treatment,
hydroxyurea, are associated with ovarian reserve in SCA by conducting (1) a cross-sectional
study that entails primary data collection of measures of ovarian reserve in women with SCA
and matched controls, and (2) a study of whether HU treatment, clinical and laboratory
biomarkers of SCA are associated with reduced ovarian reserve. As this information will be
incorporated into patient-centered decision making, we will also (3) explore patient knowledge,
experiences and preferences about fertility and SCA therapies.
This research, critical for understanding the effects of SCA and HU on ovarian reserve in
women with SCA, will develop the principal investigator through advanced training in
epidemiology and biostatistics, qualitative research methods and reproductive medicine and
SCA. Few hematologists have this kind of expertise and the principal investigator will be poised
to build an independent research program at the forefront of reproductive health in SCA.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10232408
- **Project number:** 5K23HL146841-02
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Lydia Pecker
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $198,065
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-08-09 → 2025-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10232408

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10232408, OVARIAN RESERVE IN POST-MENARCHAL FEMALES WITH SICKLE CELL ANEMIA (5K23HL146841-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10232408. Licensed CC0.

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