Chadebech P, de Ménorval MA, Bodivit G, et al. - Given that alterations in cytokine generation are known to contribute to the pathogenesis of sickle-cell disease (SCD), especially in painful acute complications (crises) as well as episodes of post-transfusion hemolysis, so, researchers examined likely links between cytokine profile and the onset of delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions (DHTRs), specifically during acute-phase episodes, to better characterization of the biological parameters that can predict such events. Participants were SCD patients experiencing severe acute symptoms (n = 36) or steady-state disease (n = 31), both likely resulting in a DHTR (n = 18) event. Irrespective of clinical context, plasma samples from SCD patients demonstrated higher levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, inducible protein-10, and macrophage inflammatory protein-1β vs those from healthy controls. Even higher levels of IL-6 and IL-10 were detected in acute-phase plasma samples from SCD patients. Overall, this work affords the first evidence of a significant link between low plasma TNFα level, high plasma IP-10 level and the onset of DHTR among patients with SCD. Also, the plasma cytokine profiles of SCD patients in several clinical phases of the disease were described.