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CompletedNCT06831799Updated Feb 18, 2025

ERN-EuroBloodNet Registry on Patients with Rare Red Blood Cell Defects and COVID-19

An observational study in Hemoglobinopathies, Sickle Cell Disease and Sickle Cell Anemia, sponsored by Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron Research Institute. Completed at 1 site in Spain. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-02-18.

Sponsored by Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron Research Institute · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Case-control
Time perspective
Other
Enrollment
684
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Patients with red blood cell disorders (RBCDs), such as Sickle cell disease (SCD) and Thalassemia, are chronic, life-threatening conditions that can become multi-organ complications over time, and are likely at an increased risk of COVID-19-related complications. Patients at the highest risk include the elderly (>50 in our population), those with a history of respiratory or cardiac disease and those with other comorbidities. Several patients affected by RBCDs undergo splenectomy as therapeutic option to improve their level of hemoglobin concentration. Splenectomized patients, or in the case of SCD with functional hyposplenism, are more vulnerable to bacterial infections / superinfections after viral infection. Acute pulmonary syndrome (ACS) is the main cause of morbidity in SCD in middle-high income countries, and is often triggered by infectious events. Currently, there is no literature on the subject. Thus, any recommendation available comes from the experience gained with previous Coronaviruses infections. Accordingly, the correct treatment and management of infection by Coronavirus SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) in patients affected by RBCDs may be challenging given the rapid spread of the pandemic and limited literature so far, especially in some countries. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to pool evidence in a unique repository on patients affected by RBCDs and COVID-19 in order to reach critical numbers to facilitate the medical decision making process across Europe.

The Registry on patients with rare RBCDs and COVID-19 is an initiative conceived in the core of the European Reference Network on Rare Hematological Diseases (ERN-EuroBloodNet, FPA 739541, www.eurobloodnet.eu) aiming at supporting medical practice of COVID-19 in these patients by gathering evidence on pediatric and adult COVID-19 confirmed cases in RBCDs across Europe.

Read the detailed description

The Registry on patients with rare red blood cell disorders (RBCDs) and COVID-19 is an initiative conceived in the core of the European Reference Network on Rare Hematological Diseases (ERN-EuroBloodNet, FPA 739541, www.eurobloodnet.eu) aiming at supporting medical practice of COVID-19 in these patients by gathering evidence on pediatric and adult COVID-19 confirmed cases in RBCDs across Europe.

Primary objective of the registry is to pool evidence on the clinical management and outcomes of patients affected by red blood cell disorders and COVID-19 for supporting daily medical practice while enabling inter-professional consultation of complex cases. Secondary objective includes the performance of observational studies in the different cohorts of patients, including Sickle Cell Disease, Thalassaemia, Enzymopathies and Membranopathies patients in pediatric and or adult stages.

The network of hospitals that will be created from this registry will hold regular meetings to analyze the data that are being introduced and to discuss possible measures against COVID-19 based on them. The collaboration will continue with the development of observational studies that will give the necessary evidence to make recommendations for COVID-19 management in hematological patients.

METHODOLOGY

Inclusion criteria include both pediatric and adults patients with confirmed COVID-19 and affected by a rare anaemia disorder due to a red blood cell defect. Data set elements include:

  • Demographics: country of living, sex, age (only year of birth)
  • Data related to Red blood cell disorder: diagnosis, co-morbidities, treatments, splenectomy, blood transfusion requirement.
  • Data related to COVID-19: date and method for diagnosis, severity grade, clinical manifestations i.e. pneumonia, symptoms days, acute events, treatments, days of hospitalization, days at intensive care unit, sequela, death.

The registry has been developed by Vall d'Hebron Research Institute using Redcap, a secure web application for building and managing online databases. Individual patients' data will be gathered in a codified way.

ETHICS AND GDPR COMPLIANCE

The processing of personal data is conducted fully respecting the Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation), including legal basis and special requirements and safeguards to ensure the safety and the confidentiality of the data subjects.

The Research Ethics Committee of the Vall d'Hebron's Hospital has confirmed that this exceptional case justifies the waiver of informed consent.

PROCESSING OF THE DATA

The patient's information included in the database is pseudonymised by single codification. The minimization principle of data protection is followed (i.e. only year of age is collected, no identified data is collected, and only clinical data of the health care is collected). The medical doctors at each center have a coding table in which the code can be linked to the patient's personal information. This table is safely guarded by the medical doctor and never leaves the center. All the information stored in the database is pseudonymised.

02

Conditions studied

  • Hemoglobinopathies
  • Sickle Cell Disease
  • Sickle Cell Anemia
  • Sickle Beta Thalassemia
  • Sickle-Cell; Hemoglobinopathy
  • Sickle Cell Hemoglobin C
  • Sickle Cell Hemoglobin D
  • Sickle Cell-Hemoglobin E Disease
  • Beta-Thalassemia
  • Beta Thalassemia Major
  • Beta Thalassemia Intermedia
  • Dominant Beta-Thalassemia
  • Hereditary Persistence of Fetal Hemoglobin Thalassemia
  • Delta-Beta Thalassaemia
  • Haemoglobin C-Beta-Thalassaemia Syndrome
  • Hemoglobin E-Beta Thalassemia
  • Alpha-Thalassemia
  • Hemoglobin H Disease
  • Hemoglobin Barts Hydrops
  • Enzyme Disorder; Anemia
  • Membranes; Disorder
  • Elliptocytosis, Hereditary
  • Stomatocytosis
  • Spherocytosis, Hereditary

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • Hemoglobinopathy
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Sickle Cell Anemia
  • Sickle cell-beta-thalassemia
  • Sickle cell-hemoglobin
  • Beta-Thalassemia
  • Beta Thalassemia Major
  • Beta Thalassemia Intermedia
  • Delta-Beta Thalassaemia
  • Alpha-Thalassemia
  • Hemoglobin
  • Rare hemolytic anemia
  • Hereditary Spherocytosis
  • Hereditary Elliptocytosis
  • Hereditary Stomatocytosis
03

In context

COVID-19

7,640 studies on the registry are indexed under COVID-19; 488 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 684 is above the median of 261 across 3,136 observational studies indexed under COVID-19.

Browse COVID-19 studies →

Lead sponsor

Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron Research Institute is the lead sponsor of 268 studies on the registry; 61 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
Child (0–17), Adult (18–64), Older adult (65+)
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Probability sample

Study population

Patients both pediatric and adults with confirmed COVID19 and affected by a rare anaemia disorder due to a red blood cell defect according to the following ORPHA codes for rare diseases:

  • 68364 Hemoglobinopathy
  • 275752 Sickle Cell Disease and related diseases
  • 848 Beta-thalassemia
  • 846 Alpha-Thalassaemia
  • 98363 Rare hemolytic anemia
  • 98369 Rare constitutional hemolytic anemia due to an enzyme disorder
  • 98364 Rare constitutional hemolytic anemia due to a red cell membrane anomaly

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients both pediatric and adults with confirmed COVID-19 and affected by a rare anaemia disorder due to a red blood cell defect
05

Study design

Observational model
Case-control
Time perspective
Other
Enrollment
684 participants (actual)
Target follow-up
1 Month
Patient registry
Yes

Groups and cohorts

  • Pediatric Sickle cell disease patients infected by COVID-19

    Sickle cell diagnosed patients (\<18 years old) infected by COVID-19

    Other: Non applicable, is a patient registry

  • Adult Sickle cell disease patients infected by COVID-19

    Sickle cell diagnosed patients (≥18 years old) infected by COVID-19

    Other: Non applicable, is a patient registry

  • Pediatric Thalassemia patients infected by COVID-19

    Thalassemia-diagnosed patients (\<18 years old) infected by COVID-19

    Other: Non applicable, is a patient registry

  • Adult Thalassemia patients infected by COVID-19

    Thalassemia-diagnosed patients (≥18 years old) infected by COVID-19

    Other: Non applicable, is a patient registry

  • Pediatric Enzymopathy patients infected by COVID-19

    Enzymopathy-diagnosed patients (\<18 years old) infected by COVID-19

    Other: Non applicable, is a patient registry

  • Adult Enzymopathy patients infected by COVID-19

    Enzymopathy-diagnosed patients (≥18 years old) infected by COVID-19

    Other: Non applicable, is a patient registry

  • Pediatric Membranopathy patients infected by COVID-19

    Membranopathy-diagnosed patients (\<18 years old) infected by COVID-19

    Other: Non applicable, is a patient registry

  • Adult Membranopathy patients infected by COVID-19

    Membranopathy-diagnosed patients (\<18 years old) infected by COVID-19

    Other: Non applicable, is a patient registry

Interventions

  • OtherNon applicable, is a patient registry

    Non applicable, is a patient registry

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Clinical Management and Outcomes in Patients with Red Blood Cell Disorders and COVID-19

    • COVID-19 clinical manifestations and required treatment in each cohort (Sickle Cell Disease, Thalassemia, Enzymopathies, and Membranopathies)..

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 years

Secondary outcomes

  1. Secondary Analysis in Different Cohorts of Patients with Red Blood Cell Disorders and COVID-19:

    * Descriptive analysis of demographic and baseline disease characteristics in each cohort (Sickle Cell Disease, Thalassemia, Enzymopathies, and Membranopathies). * COVID-19 clínical manifestations in each cohort. * Identification of preventive measures and risk factors related to severe COVID-19 in each cohort

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 years

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca
    Barcelona, 08035, Spain
08

References and documents

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Feb 18, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06831799
Lead sponsor
Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron Research Institute
Collaborators
European Georges Pompidou Hospital, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañon, Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, E.P.E., University Hospital Freiburg, Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Erasme University Hospital, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital of Athens, Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, University Hospital Heidelberg, Children's Health Ireland, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, UMC Utrecht, General Hospital of Athens Elpis, Amsterdam UMC, Brno University Hospital, Azienda Ospedaliera Ospedali Riuniti Villa Sofia Cervello, University Hospital, Gentofte, Copenhagen, Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Czech Republic, Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven, Palacky University
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Feb 18, 2025
Start date
Apr 15, 2020
Primary completion
Jun 30, 2023
Completion
Dec 31, 2023
Last update
Feb 18, 2025

Study contacts

María del Mar Mañú Pereira, PhD
principal investigator · Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca, Barcelona (Spain) and ERN-EuroBloodNet
Pablo Velasco Puyó, MD
principal investigator · Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona (Spain)

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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