Andrawes NG, et al. - In this investigation, researchers identified angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), a multifaceted cytokine that functions in both angiogenesis and inflammation, levels in 40 children and adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD) compared to 40 healthy controls and evaluated their relationship to both retinopathy and carotid intimamedia thickness (CIMT). In SCD patients, Ang-2 levels and CIMT were significantly higher vs controls. Data reported that nonproliferative retinopathy incidence was 45%. According to logistic regression analysis, Ang-2 and HbS significantly contribute to retinopathy among SCD patients. Overall, the authors concluded that elevated Ang-2 emphasizes the function of angiogenesis in SCD pathophysiology and can be regarded as a promising marker for screening sickle retinopathy and vascular dysfunction patients at risk.