Autoimmune hemolytic anemia in children

New insights into childhood autoimmune hemolytic anemia: a French national observational study of 265 children

“…With 18% of patients in continuous complete remission 2 years after diagnosis, the pejorative value of an IgG/IgG+C3d DAT, suspected in earlier studies, [2][3][4][5][6] was here demonstrated in the multivariate analysis as an independent factor. It has an impact on both initial status and long-term status off-therapy.…”

“…3,21,22 Due to the large size of this study and the systematic collection of family data, we are now able to refute this point. A genetic predisposition to AIHA, of autosomal recessive or dominant transmission, can be suspected for a small subgroup of patients, since consanguinity (8%) was observed in specific ethnic groups and a history of immunological diseases in first-degree relatives (14%) in all ethnic groups.…”

“…1 The first descriptions available of this rare disease were provided 40 years ago and were drawn from retrospective series. [2][3][4][5][6] Recent literature contains information from small series, mainly based on laboratory tests, and involving very few centers. [7][8][9][10] The prevalence of AIHA in childhood is still unknown, but likely increases with age, as for most autoimmune disorders.…”

“…In chronic phases, immunosuppressive treatments are not consistently effective and may have major, life-threatening, secondary effects. [1][2][3][4]6 In 2001, the rarity and severity of this disease, the therapeutic challenges and the absence of any identified national research program led the French Society of Hematology and Immunology (SHIP), in close partnership with families, to create a clinical and laboratory network on AIHA and ES in children. This national pediatric CERE-VANCE group was labeled in 2007 as a "Reference Center" under the French Health Ministry's Rare Diseases Plan.…”

The diagnostic significance of the direct antiglobulin test (DAT) in anemic dogs

“…This may have reflected residual anti-IgG or anti-C' activity in the anti-IgM and anti-IgA reagents, but this is unlikely because both the anti-IgA and anti-lgM sera were made heavy chain specific and because IgA and IgM reactions were negative in the great majority of dogs that had strong IgG + C' type reactions. The rare occurrence of IgM and IgA autoantibodies, mostly associated with IgG + C' type DAT, has also been reported in man (Dacie and Worlledge, 1969;Mueller-Eckhardt and Kretschmer, 1972;Engelfriet et ai.,1974;Habibi et al, 1974).…”