Department / Division:
Medicine / Hematology

Address:
DUMC 3939
Durham, NC 27710

Appointment Telephone:
919-684-6464

Office Telephone:
919-684-6464

Fax Telephone:
919-681-6174

• MD, Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 1986

• Internal Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center (New York), 1992-1995
• Hematology/Oncology, Yale University (Connecticut), 1995-1998

Clinical Interests:
Internal medicine; general adult hematology; hematological problems during pregnancy; anemias, including iron and B12 deficiencies and hemolytic anemias; hemoglobinopathies, particularly sickle cell and thalassemias; myeloproliferatic disorders and chronic leukemias (CML, CLL)

Research Interests:
Dr. De Castro is an assistant professor of medicine with the Division of Hematology in the Department of Medicine at Duke University. She is the clinical director of the adult comprehensive sickle cell clinic. Her translational research projects involve the evaluation of sickle red cell adhesion to laminin and its pathophysiological significance. In, addition, she has been the PI of more than 10 NIH or industry sponsored clinical studies on SCD and she is currently the Duke/UNC Sickle Cell Scholar, funded primarily through the Duke/UNC Sickle Cell Center.  

Representative Publications:
Fung E, Harmatz P, Milet M, Ballas SK, . DeCastro L, Hagar W, Hillard L, Owen W, Olivieri N Smith-Whitley K, Darbari D, Wang W, Vichinsky E. and the Multi-Center Study of Iron Overload Research Group. (2006) Morbidity and Mortality in Chronically Transfused Subjects with Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease: A Report from the Multi-Center Study of Iron Overload. AJH. Accepted (2006)

Edwards C. Whitfield K. Sudhakar S. Pearce M. Byrd G. Wood M. Feliu M. Leach-Beale B. DeCastro L. Whitworth E. Abrams M. Jonassaint J. Harrison MO. Mathis M. Scott L. Johnson S. Durant L. Holmes A. Presnell K. Bennett G. Shelby R. Robinson E. (2006)Parental substance abuse, reports of chronic pain and coping in adult patients with sickle cell disease.  Journal of the National Medical Association. 98(3):420-8, Mar. (2006)

Pells, J., Presnell, K., Edwards, C.L., Wood, M., Harrison, M.O., De Castro, L., Johnson, S., Feliu, M., Canada, S., Jonassaint, J.C., Barker, C., Leach-Beale, B., Mathis, M., Applegate, K., Holmes, A., Byrd, G., Robinson, E. (2005). Moderate Chronic Pain, Weight, And Dietary Intake In African American Adult Patients With Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). Journal of the National Medical Association, 97(12), 1622-1629. (2005)

Harrison MO. Edwards CL. Koenig HG. Bosworth HB. Decastro L. Wood M. (2005) Religiosity/spirituality and pain in patients with sickle cell disease. Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease. 193(4):250-7, Apr. (2005)

Edwards CL, Scales MT, Loughlin C, Bennett GG, Harris-Peterson S, De Castro LM, Whitworth E, Abrams M, Feliu M, Johnson S, Wood M, Harrison O, Killough A. A brief review of the pathophysiology, associated pain, and psychosocial issues in sickle cell disease. Int J Behav Med. 2005;12(3):171-9. (2005) Abstract

Zennadi, R., Hines, P., De Castro, L.M. Cartron, .,Parise,L, Telen, MJ. (2004) Epinephrine Acts Via Erythroid Signaling Pathways to Activate Sickle Cell Adhesion to Endothelium Via LW- v 3 Interactions. Blood, Aug 2004; Blood First Edition Paper, prepublished online August 12,

(2004)

Zen Q, Batchvarova M, Twyman CA, Eyler CE, Qiu H, De Castro LM, Telen MJ. B-CAM/LU expression and the role of B-CAM/LU activation in binding of low- and high-density red cells to laminin in sickle cell disease. Am J Hematol. 2004 Feb;75(2):63-72. (2004) Abstract

Steinberg, M.H., Barton,F.B., Castro,O., De Castro,LM. el at.  Effects of Hydroxyurea on Mortality and Morbidity in Sickle Cell Anemia: Risks and Benefits Up to 9Years of Treatment.  JAMA, 2003; 289:1645-1651. (2003)

Rinder, H.M., Tracey, J.B. Recht, M., DeCastro, L., Rinder, C.S., McHugh, C., and Smith, B.R. Differences in Platelet α-granule Release Between Normals and Immune Thrombocytopenic Patients and Between Young and Old Platelets. Throm Hemostasis. 1998 Sep. 80(3):457-62. (1998)

DeCastro L, Jonassaint J, Graham F, Ashley-Koch AE, and Telen MJ. (2006) Pulmonary Hypertension in SS, SC and Sβ Thalassemia: Prevalence, Associated Clinical Syndromes and Mortality. Submitted.

Ataga KI, Smith WR,, DeCastro L, Swerdlow P, Saunthararajah Y, Castro O, Vichinsky E, Kutlar A, Orringer EP, for the ICA-17043-05 Investigators (2006) Efficacy And Safety Of The Gardos Channel Blocker, Senicapoc (Ica-17043), In Patients With Sickle Cell Anemia. Submitted.