Rituximab-based immunosuppression for autoimmune haemolytic anaemia in infants |
| |
Authors: | Johanna Svahn Francesca Fioredda Michaela Calvillo Angelo C Molinari Concetta Micalizzi Laura Banov Madalina Schmidt Daniela Caprino Doretta Marinelli Domenico Gallisai Carlo Dufour |
| |
Institution: | Haematology Unit, G. Gaslini Children's Institute, Genova, Italy;, Santa Maria Children's Hospital, Iasi, Romania;, Intensive Neonatal Care Unit, Perugia Hospital, Perugia;, and Department of Paediatrics, Sassari University, Sassari, Italy |
| |
Abstract: | We report a case series of four infants with severe autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA) who responded to treatment with rituximab and cyclosporine after having failed first line therapy with high-dose steroid (prednisolone 4–8 mg/kg/d). Rituximab was started at 11–90 d from onset due to continued haemolysis; three infants also received cyclosporine A. Three of four infants reached complete response, defined as normal haemoglobin, reticulocytes and negative indices of haemolysis, at 7–21 months from diagnosis. In long-term follow-up two infants remained disease-free with normal immunology, one had undefined immunodeficiency and one had autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome. |
| |
Keywords: | autoimmune haemolytic anaemia infants rituximab cyclosporine A |
|
|