Study design
We conducted a prospective, case-control study with patients younger
than 18 years with SCD from June 2015 to June 2018. Children with SCD
and fever were eligible to participate in the study as cases and
asymptomatic steady-state SCD children were included as controls.
Exclusion criteria of cases and controls included age older than 18
years, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, incomplete diagnostic
tests and patients whose parents or legal guardians did not sign the
informed consent form for the study. Controls were also excluded if they
had had a febrile episode in the previous month. The study received
approval from the Institutional Review Board.