Effect of eculizumab on hemolysis and transfusion requirements in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria

[Evolution of transfusionnal requirements in hematology]

Predicting transfusion requirements relies both on epidemiology and therapeutic changes in hematology. The incidence rate of B-cell neoplasias especially non-Hodgkin lymphoma and myelodysplasia is increasing. Chemotherapy related myelodysplasia will reflect the improvement of solid tumor prognostic in the future. For myelodysplasias, therapeutic changes including oral iron chelators and more intensive transfusion policies will likely result in an increase of PRC requirements, a situation shared by sickle-cell disease.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria: natural history of disease subcategories

The natural history of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) clinical subcategories (classic PNH and aplastic anemia [AA]/PNH syndrome) is still unknown. We retrospectively studied 460 PNH patients diagnosed in 58 French hematologic centers from 1950 to 2005. The median (SE) follow-up time was 6.8 (0.5) years. The median survival time (SE) was 22 (2.5) years. We identified 113 patients with classic PNH, 224 patients with AA-PNH syndrome, and 93 (22%) intermediate patients who did not fit within these 2 categories. At presentation, classic PNH patients were older, with more frequent abdominal pain and displayed higher levels of GPI-AP–deficient granulocytes. A time-dependent improved survival was observed. In classic PNH, diagnoses before 1986 (hazard ratio [HR]: 3.6; P = .01) and increasing age (P < .001) were associated with worse survival prognoses, whereas use of androgens within the first year after diagnosis was protective (HR, 0.17; P = .01). Transfusions before 1996 (HR, 2.7; P = .007) led to lower survival rates in patients with AA-PNH syndrome, whereas immunosuppressive treatment was associated with better outcomes (HR, 0.33; P = .03). Evolution to thrombosis affected survival in both subcategories (classic PNH: HR, 7.8 [P < .001]; AA-PNH syndrome: HR, 33.0 [P < .001]). Evolution to bicytopenia or pancytopenia for classic PNH (HR, 7.3, P < .001) and malignancies for AA-PNH syndrome (HR, 48.8; P < .001) were associated with worse outcomes. Although clinical presenta-tion and prognosis factors are different, classic PNH and AA-PNH syndrome present roughly similar outcomes, affected mainly by complications.

FDA report: eculizumab (Soliris) for the treatment of patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria

On March 16, 2007, eculizumab (Soliris; Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Cheshire, CT), a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds to the human C5 complement protein, received accelerated approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) to reduce hemolysis. Eculizumab was studied in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in 87 RBC transfusion-dependent adult PNH patients and in a supportive single-arm study in 96 patients. The eculizumab dose was 600 mg as a 35-minute i.v. infusion administered weekly for the first 4 weeks followed by 900 mg (week 5) then 900 mg every 14 days thereafter. Hemoglobin stabilized in 21 of 43 (48.8%) eculizumab-treated patients, compared with none of 44 placebo-treated patients. Eculizumab-treated patients required significantly fewer RBC transfusions than placebo-treated patients (median, 0 versus 10 units). There was also a significant reduction in the serum lactate dehydrogenase area under the curve with eculizumab compared with placebo treatment. Results of the phase II supportive study were similar to those of the phase III study. The safety database included 196 adult patients with PNH. Significant findings included the development of human anti-human antibody responses in three patients and serious meningococcal infections in three patients. Patients should undergo meningococcal vaccination at least 2 weeks prior to receiving the first eculizumab treatment and have revaccination according to current medical guidelines. Patients must be monitored and evaluated immediately for early signs of meningococcal infections and treated with antibiotics as indicated.

New insights into paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is an uncommon acquired hemolytic anemia that manifests with abdominal pain, esophageal spasm, fatigue, and thrombosis. The hallmark of PNH at the cellular level is a deficiency in cell surface glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchored proteins; this deficiency on erythrocytes leads to intravascular hemolysis. Free hemoglobin from hemolysis leads to circulating nitric oxide depletion and is responsible for many of the clinical manifestations of PNH, including fatigue, erectile dysfunction, esophageal spasm, and thrombosis. The recently FDA approved complement inhibitor eculizumab has been shown to decrease hemolysis, decrease erythrocyte transfusion requirements, and improve quality of life for PNH patients.

C5 blockade with conventional immunosuppression induces long-term graft survival in presensitized recipients

We explored whether a functionally blocking anti-C5 monoclonal antibody (mAb) combined with T- and B-cell immunosuppression can successfully prevent antibody-mediated (AMR) and cell-mediated rejection (CMR) in presensitized murine recipients of life-supporting kidney allografts. To mimic the urgent clinical features of AMR experienced by presensitized patients, we designed a murine model in which BALB/c recipients were presensitized with fully MHC-mismatched C3H donor skin grafts one week prior to C3H kidney transplantation. Presensitized recipients demonstrated high levels of circulating and intragraft antidonor antibodies and terminal complement activity, rejecting grafts within 8.5 +/- 1.3 days. Graft rejection was predominantly by AMR, characterized by interstitial hemorrhage, edema and glomerular/tubular necrosis, but also demonstrated moderate cellular infiltration, suggesting CMR involvement. Subtherapeutic treatment with cyclosporine (CsA) and LF15-0195 (LF) did not significantly delay rejection. Significantly, however, the addition of anti-C5 mAb to this CsA/LF regimen prevented terminal complement activity and inhibited both AMR and CMR, enabling indefinite (>100 days) kidney graft survival despite the persistence of antidonor antibodies. Long-term surviving kidney grafts expressed the protective proteins Bcl-x(S/L) and A-20 and demonstrated normal histology, suggestive of graft accommodation or tolerance. Thus, C5 blockade combined with routine immunosuppression offers a promising approach to prevent graft loss in presensitized patients.

Complement deficiency and disease

There are approximately 30 serum complement proteins (15% of the globulin fraction), excluding cell surface receptors, and regulatory proteins. Many are manufactured in the liver, and reduced complement is a feature of severe liver failure. Complement proteins contribute to the acute phase response, and high levels are seen in chronic untreated inflammation (eg, rheumatoid arthritis). Once activated, complement is strongly pro-inflammatory. Indeed, almost half of the complement system proteins/receptors play regulatory roles, reflecting the importance of controlling inappropriate activation. This review focuses on disease states arising as a direct consequence of complement deficiency or dysfunction.

Complement-mediated dysfunction of glomerular filtration barrier accelerates progressive renal injury

Intrarenal complement activation leads to chronic tubulointerstitial injury in animal models of proteinuric nephropathies, making this process a potential target for therapy. This study investigated whether a C3-mediated pathway promotes renal injury in the protein overload model and whether the abnormal exposure of proximal tubular cells to filtered complement could trigger the resulting inflammatory response. Mice with C3 deficiency were protected to a significant degree against the protein overload-induced interstitial inflammatory response and tissue damage, and they had less severe podocyte injury and less proteinuria. When the same injury was induced in wild-type (WT) mice, antiproteinuric treatment with the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor lisinopril reduced the amount of plasma protein filtered, decreased the accumulation of C3 by proximal tubular cells, and protected against interstitial inflammation and damage. For determination of the injurious role of plasma-derived C3, as opposed to tubular cell-derived C3, C3-deficient kidneys were transplanted into WT mice. Protein overload led to the development of glomerular injury, accumulation of C3 in podocytes and proximal tubules, and tubulointerstitial changes. Conversely, when WT kidneys were transplanted into C3-deficient mice, protein overload led to a more mild disease and abnormal C3 deposition was not observed. These data suggest that the presence of C3 increases the glomerular filtration barrier's susceptibility to injury, ultrafiltered C3 contributes more to tubulointerstitial damage induced by protein overload than locally synthesized C3, and local C3 synthesis is irrelevant to the development of proteinuria. It is speculated that therapies targeting complement combined with interventions to minimize proteinuria would more effectively prevent the progression of renal disease.

Blockade of CD200 in the presence or absence of antibody effector function: implications for anti-CD200 therapy

CD200 is an immunosuppressive molecule overexpressed in multiple hematologic malignancies such as B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia, multiple myeloma, and acute myeloid leukemia. We previously demonstrated that up-regulation of CD200 on tumor cells suppresses antitumor immune responses and that antagonistic anti-human CD200 mAbs enabled human PBMC-mediated tumor growth inhibition in xenograft NOD/SCID human (hu)-mouse models. Ab variants with effector function (IgG1 constant region (G1)) or without effector function (IgG2/G4 fusion constant region (G2G4)) exhibited high antitumor activity in a human tumor xenograft model in which CD200 was expressed. In this report, we seek to select the best candidate to move forward into the clinic and begin to decipher the mechanisms of tumor cell killing by comparing anti-CD200-G1 vs anti-CD200-G2G4 in two related animal models. In a CD200-expressing xenograft NOD/SCID hu-mouse model where CD200 ligand/receptor interactions are already established before initiating treatment, we find that anti-CD200-G1 is a less effective Ab compared with anti-CD200-G2G4. Separately, in a model that evaluates the effect of the Abs on the immune cell component of the xenograft NOD/SCID hu-mouse model distinctly from the effects of binding to CD200 on tumor cells, we find that the administration of anti-CD200-G1 Abs completely abolished human PBMC-mediated tumor growth inhibition. Along with supporting in vitro studies, our data indicate that anti-CD200-G1 Abs efficiently mediate Ab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity of activated T cells, critical cells involved in immune-mediated killing. These studies suggest important implications regarding the selection of the constant region in anti-CD200 immunotherapy of cancer patients.

Protein therapeutics: a summary and pharmacological classification

Once a rarely used subset of medical treatments, protein therapeutics have increased dramatically in number and frequency of use since the introduction of the first recombinant protein therapeutic--human insulin--25 years ago. Protein therapeutics already have a significant role in almost every field of medicine, but this role is still only in its infancy. This article overviews some of the key characteristics of protein therapeutics, summarizes the more than 130 protein therapeutics used currently and suggests a new classification of these proteins according to their pharmacological action.

Discovery and development of the complement inhibitor eculizumab for the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria

The complement system provides critical immunoprotective and immunoregulatory functions but uncontrolled complement activation can lead to severe pathology. In the rare hemolytic disease paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), somatic mutations result in a deficiency of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked surface proteins, including the terminal complement inhibitor CD59, on hematopoietic stem cells. In a dysfunctional bone marrow background, these mutated progenitor blood cells expand and populate the periphery. Deficiency of CD59 on PNH red blood cells results in chronic complement-mediated intravascular hemolysis, a process central to the morbidity and mortality of PNH. A recently developed, humanized monoclonal antibody directed against complement component C5, eculizumab (Soliris; Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Cheshire, CT, USA), blocks the proinflammatory and cytolytic effects of terminal complement activation. The recent approval of eculizumab as a first-in-class complement inhibitor for the treatment of PNH validates the concept of complement inhibition as an effective therapy and provides rationale for investigation of other indications in which complement plays a role.

Rationale for anti-CD200 immunotherapy in B-CLL and other hematologic malignancies: new concepts in blocking immune suppression

Immune evasion in cancer is increasingly recognized as a contributing factor in the failure of a natural host antitumor immune response as well as in the failure of cancer vaccine trials. Immune evasion may be the result of a number of factors, including expansion of regulatory T cells, production of immunosuppressive cytokines, downregulation of HLA class I and tumor-associated antigens and upregulation of immunosuppressive molecules on the surface of tumor cells. CD200, a cell surface ligand that plays a role in regulating the immune system, has been shown to be upregulated on the surface of some hematologic and solid tumor malignancies. This review characterizes the role of CD200 in immune suppression, and describes strategies to target this molecule in the oncology setting, thus directly modulating immune regulation and potentially altering tolerance to tumor antigens.

The role of complement inhibition in PNH

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare, chronic, debilitating, acquired disorder that most frequently presents in early adulthood and usually continues throughout the life of a patient. PNH results in the death of approximately half of affected individuals, mainly through thrombotic complications, and until recently had no specific therapy. In 2007 eculizumab, an anti-complement antibody targeting the C5 complement component was approved for PNH by both the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMEA). Eculizumab is very effective in the treatment of intravascular hemolysis and all its sequelae, which include most of the symptoms and complications of PNH. Eculizumab has revolutionized our approach to hemolytic PNH and as it markedly reduces the principal complications of PNH, namely thrombosis and renal failure, should have a significant impact on survival. However, the development of eculizumab presents new challenges in PNH, such as how to avoid complications of therapy, how to overcome some of the problems associated with treatment and who to select for treatment, as only a proportion of patients with a PNH clone will benefit. This article will review the evidence behind the use of eculizumab in PNH, the effect it will have on the complications of the disease, the most appropriate selection of patients for therapy, the optimal management and the potential complications of the therapy.

Complement and the atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome in children

Over the past decade, atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) has been demonstrated to be a disorder of the regulation of the complement alternative pathway. Among approximately 200 children with the disease, reported in the literature, 50% had mutations of the complement regulatory proteins factor H, membrane cofactor protein (MCP) or factor I. Mutations in factor B and C3 have also been reported recently. In addition, 10% of children have factor H dysfunction due to anti-factor H antibodies. Early age at onset appears as characteristic of factor H and factor I mutated patients, while MCP-associated HUS is not observed before age 1 year. Low C3 level may occur in patients with factor H and factor I mutation, while C3 level is generally normal in MCP-mutated patients. Normal plasma factor H and factor I levels do not preclude the presence of a mutation in these genes. The worst prognosis is for factor H-mutated patients, as 60% die or reach end-stage renal disease (ESRD) within the first year after onset of the disease. Patients with mutations in MCP have a relapsing course, but no patient has ever reached ESRD in the first year of the disease. Half of the patients with factor I mutations have a rapid evolution to ESRD, but half recover. Early intensive plasmatherapy appears to have a beneficial effect, except in MCP-mutated patients. There is a high risk of graft loss for HUS recurrence or thrombosis in all groups except the MCP-mutated group. Recent success of liver-kidney transplantation combined with plasmatherapy opens this option for patients with mutations of factors synthesized in the liver. New therapies such as factor H concentrate or complement inhibitors offer hope for the future.

Which Patients with Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) Should Be Treated with Eculizumab?

A 45-year-old woman presents for evaluation as a result of persistent anemia. Ultimately, she is diagnosed with hemolytic anemia ascribed to paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. She is otherwise well and has an otherwise normal complete blood cell count. She requires transfusion about once every 6 weeks for symptomatic anemia. She wonders whether she would benefit from eculizumab.

Advances in the diagnosis and therapy of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria

PNH is an uncommon acquired hemolytic anemia that often manifests with hemoglobinuria, abdominal pain, smooth muscle dystonias, fatigue, and thrombosis. The disease results from the expansion of hematopoietic stem cells harboring a mutation in a gene, PIG-A, that is required for the biosynthesis of a lipid moiety, glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI), that attaches dozens of different proteins to the cell surface. Thus, PNH cells are deficient in cell surface GPI anchored proteins; this deficiency on erythrocytes leads to intravascular hemolysis since certain GPI anchored proteins normally function as complement regulators. Free hemoglobin released from intravascular hemolysis leads to circulating nitric oxide depletion and is responsible for many of the clinical manifestations of PNH, including fatigue, erectile dysfunction, esophageal spasm, and thrombosis. Interestingly, rare PIG-A mutations can be found in virtually all healthy control subjects leading to speculation that PIG-A mutations in hematopoietic stem cells are common benign events. However, recent data reveals that most of these mutations in healthy controls are not derived from stem cells. The recently FDA approved complement inhibitor eculizumab has been shown to decrease hemolysis, decrease erythrocyte transfusion requirements, decrease the risk for thrombosis and improve quality of life for PNH patients.

Eculizumab and Temsirolimus

The increasing complexity of cancer chemotherapy now requires that pharmacists be familiar with these highly toxic agents. This column will review various issues related to preparation, dispensing, and administration of cancer chemotherapy, and review various agents, both commercially available and investigational, used to treat malignant diseases. Questions or suggestions for topics should be addressed to Dominic A. Solimando, Jr., President, Oncology Pharmacy Services, Inc., 4201 Wilson Blvd #110545, Arlington, VA 22203, e-mail: OncRxSvc@aol.com ; or J. Aubrey Waddell, Associate Professor, University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy; Oncology Pharmacist, Pharmacy Department, Blount Memorial Hospital, 907 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804, e-mail: waddfour@charter.net .

The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the official policy of the Department of Army, Department of Defense, or US Government.

Multicenter phase 3 study of the complement inhibitor eculizumab for the treatment of patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria

The terminal complement inhibitor eculizumab was recently shown to be effective and well tolerated in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). Here, we extended these observations with results from an open-label, non-placebo-controlled, 52-week, phase 3 clinical safety and efficacy study evaluating eculizumab in a broader PNH patient population. Eculizumab was administered by intravenous infusion at 600 mg every 7 +/- 2 days for 4 weeks; 900 mg 7 +/- 2 days later; followed by 900 mg every 14 +/- 2 days for a total treatment period of 52 weeks. Ninety-seven patients at 33 international sites were enrolled. Patients treated with eculizumab responded with an 87% reduction in hemolysis, as measured by lactate dehydrogenase levels (P < .001). Baseline fatigue scores in the FACIT-Fatigue instrument improved by 12.2 +/- 1.1 points (P < .001). Eculizumab treatment led to an improvement in anemia. The increase in hemoglobin level occurred despite a reduction in transfusion requirements from a median of 8.0 units of packed red cells per patient before treatment to 0.0 units per patient during the study (P < .001). Overall, transfusions were reduced 52% from a mean of 12.3 to 5.9 units of packed red cells per patient. Forty-nine patients (51%) achieved transfusion independence for the entire 52-week period. Improvements in hemolysis, fatigue, and transfusion requirements with eculizumab were independent of baseline levels of hemolysis and degree of thrombocytopenia. Quality of life measures were also broadly improved with eculizumab treatment. This study demonstrates that the beneficial effects of eculizumab treatment in patients with PNH are applicable to a broader population of PNH patients than previously studied. This trial is registered at http://clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00130000.

Recent advances in the diagnosis, monitoring, and management of patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria

Until recently, there has been no specific therapy for PNH with clinical management mainly supportive in terms of cytopenias and control of thrombotic risk. Currently, the only curative procedure for PNH is bone marrow transplantation although for the majority of patients the associated risks are too great to justify transplantation. The pioneering use of the therapeutic monoclonal antibody eculizumab, which binds to and prevents the activation of the complement protein C5, represents a significant advance in treatment for patients with PNH and is set to become the future standard therapy for hemolytic PNH. In both an initial pilot study and two phase III clinical trials, eculizumab has been shown to dramatically reduce intravascular hemolysis, hemoglobinuria, and transfusion requirements thus improving the quality of life in patients with PNH. As a clinical entity, PNH is synonymous with glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) deficiency, and is an acquired clonal disorder associated with somatic mutations of the X-linked PIGA gene in hematopoietic stem cells. A recent study identified a novel autosomal recessively inherited form of GPI-deficiency involving a mutation in a promotor component of the pig-m gene and characterized by a thrombotic tendency and seizures. In both these developments, flow cytometry played a critical role. In the first instance, in monitoring direct response to a new therapeutic agent; second, in demonstrating the phenotypic/genotypic link in a new form of GPI deficiency.

Complement analysis in the 21st century

Complement analysis in the clinic is usually associated with the quantification of C3 and C4, measurement of C1-inhibitor and screening for complement activity. These analyses have been available in routine diagnostic laboratories for decades. In recent years, however, the field of complement analysis has expanded considerably, with the introduction of novel assays to detect complement activation products, and spreading still further towards genetic analysis to reveal the basis of complement deficiencies and identify mutations and polymorphisms associated with defined diseases such as atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome and age related macular degeneration. Here we review the current status of complement analysis, including assays for the quantification of complement activity and complement activation products, together with genetic methods for the detection of deficiencies, mutations and polymorphisms. This is an area where significant developments have been made recently, paralleling the research advances into the role of complement in human disease. It is clear, however, that there is a need for consensus and standardisation of analytical methods. This will be a major challenge for the complement society in the future.

The Role of Flow Cytometry in the Diagnosis of Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria in the Clinical Laboratory

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare acquired hematopoietic stem cell disorder closely related to aplastic anemia. Hemolytic anemia and life-threatening thromboses are common features in many patients. Rapid diagnosis is highly desirable and flow cytometry plays a key role in the laboratory investigation of PNH. By demonstrating absence of cell membrane glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins from granulocytes or red cells, a definitive diagnosis of PNH can be established. This can have a considerable impact on patient management and outcome. As with all rare diseases, internal and external quality assurance is essential for good laboratory practice and to fulfill the requirements of national laboratory accreditation schemes.

Effect of the complement inhibitor eculizumab on thromboembolism in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria

Hemolysis and hemoglobinemia contribute to serious clinical sequelae in hemolytic disorders. In paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) patients, hemolysis can contribute to thromboembolism (TE), the most feared complication in PNH, and the leading cause of disease-related deaths. We evaluated whether long-term treatment with the complement inhibitor eculizumab reduces the rate of TE in patients with PNH. Clinical trial participants included all patients in the 3 eculizumab PNH clinical studies, which recruited patients between 2002 and 2005 (n = 195); patients from these studies continued treatment in the current multinational open-label extension study. Thromboembolism rate with eculizumab treatment was compared with the pretreatment rate in the same patients. The TE event rate with eculizumab treatment was 1.07 events/100 patient-years compared with 7.37 events/100 patient-years (P < .001) prior to eculizumab treatment (relative reduction, 85%; absolute reduction, 6.3 TE events/100 patient-years). With equalization of the duration of exposure before and during treatment for each patient, TE events were reduced from 39 events before eculizumab to 3 events during eculizumab (P < .001). The TE event rate in antithrombotic-treated patients (n = 103) was reduced from 10.61 to 0.62 events/100 patient-years with eculizumab treatment (P < .001). These results show that eculizumab treatment reduces the risk of clinical thromboembolism in patients with PNH. This study is registered at http://clinicaltrials.gov (study ID no. NCT00122317).

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria in children

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), an acquired hematologic disorder characterized by intravascular hemolysis, nocturnal hemoglobinuria, thrombotic events, serious infections, and bone marrow failure, is very rare in children. PNH is caused by a somatic mutation of the phosphatidylinositol glycan (GPI) complementation class A (PIGA) gene, followed by a survival advantage of the PNH clone, which results in a deficiency of GPI-anchored proteins on hematopoietic cells. Currently, immunophenotypic GPI-linked anchor protein analysis has replaced the acid Ham and sucrose lysis test, as it provides a reliable diagnostic tool for this disease. The presence of PNH clones should be considered in every child with an acquired bone marrow failure syndrome, for example (hypoplastic) myelodysplastic syndrome and aplastic anemia, and/or unexpected serious thrombosis. Treatment of PNH in children is dependent on the clinical presentation. In cases of severe bone marrow failure, stem cell transplantation should be seriously considered as a therapeutic option even if no matched sibling donor is available. This article reviews the reported cases of PNH in children using the recently published guidelines for classification, diagnostics, and treatment.

The Alternative Pathway of Complement Activation Is Critical for Blister Induction in Experimental Epidermolysis Bullosa Acquisita

Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita is a subepidermal blistering disease associated with tissue-bound and circulating autoantibodies against type VII collagen, a major constituent of the dermal-epidermal junction. The passive transfer of Abs against type VII collagen into mice induces a subepidermal blistering disease dependent upon activation of terminal complement components. To further dissect the role of the different complement activation pathways in this model, we injected C1q-deficient, mannan-binding lectin-deficient, and factor B-deficient mice with rabbit Abs against murine type VII collagen. The development and evolution of blistering had a similar pattern in mannan-binding lectin-deficient and control mice and was initially only marginally less extensive in C1q-deficient mice compared with controls. Importantly, factor B-deficient mice developed a delayed and significantly less severe blistering disease compared with factor B-sufficient mice. A significantly lower neutrophilic infiltration was observed in factor B-deficient mice compared with controls and local reconstitution with granulocytes restored the blistering disease in factor B-deficient mice. Our study provides the first direct evidence for the involvement of the alternative pathway in an autoantibody-induced blistering disease and should facilitate the development of new therapeutic strategies for epidermolysis bullosa acquisita and related autoimmune diseases.

Recent developments in the understanding and management of paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria

Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) has been recognised as a discrete disease entity since 1882. Approximately a half of patients will eventually die as a result of having PNH. Many of the symptoms of PNH, including recurrent abdominal pain, dysphagia, severe lethargy and erectile dysfunction, result from intravascular haemolysis with absorption of nitric oxide by free haemoglobin from the plasma. These symptoms, as well as the occurrence of thrombosis and aplasia, significantly affect patients' quality of life; thrombosis is the leading cause of premature mortality. The syndrome of haemolytic-anaemia-associated pulmonary hypertension has been further identified in PNH patients. There is currently an air of excitement surrounding therapies for PNH as recent therapeutic developments, particularly the use of the complement inhibitor eculizumab, promise to radically alter the symptomatology and natural history of haemolytic PNH.

Dense deposit disease: new insights

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Dense deposit disease is a rare but devastating disease primarily affecting children. This review focuses on new information regarding the pathophysiology of dense deposit disease, its appearance histopathologically, its relationship to other diseases including macular degeneration and acquired partial lipodystrophy and potential new therapies.

RECENT FINDINGS

The microscopic features of dense deposit disease have been separated into five patterns with only about 25% of patients showing membranoproliferative features. The subtle interplay between genetic changes in complement regulatory proteins and dysregulation of the alternative pathway of complement is now more evident. Haplotype mapping has shown at-risk phenotypes of complement factor H associated with the development of dense deposit disease. Treatment protocols are empiric and not very effective. New information on complement inhibitors and plasma exchange, however, has brought hope for new therapies in the near future.

SUMMARY

Understanding of the pathology and the pathophysiology of dense deposit disease has advanced rapidly in the last decade. New efforts in genetic mapping along with the development of novel inhibitors of the complement system will lead to improved care for patients afflicted with this uncommon condition.

Cutting edge: treatment of complement regulatory protein deficiency by retroviral in vivo gene therapy

Gene therapy is an attractive means to replace a deficient or defective protein. Using a murine retroviral vector, we provide an example of reconstituting a C regulator by neonatal in vivo gene transfer. The fusion gene containing the mouse C receptor 1-related gene/protein y (Crry) and a single chain Ab fragment with specificity for mouse glycophorin A was placed under transcriptional control of a liver-specific promoter. Shortly after birth, Crry KO mice were injected with the retroviral vectors. Protein expression progressively increased over the next 6-8 wk after which an equilibrium was established. Coating levels on RBCs were obtained that inhibited C activation similar to wild-type cells and remained constant for > 1 year. Thus, gene therapy with targeted regulators represents a treatment option to provide a long-term and sustained protein supply for the site-specific blockade of undesirable complement activation.

Excessive complement activation is associated with placental injury in patients with antiphospholipid antibodies

OBJECTIVE

Studies that use a murine model of antiphospholipid syndrome have demonstrated a critical role for complement activation that leads to fetal and placental injury in the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (APAs). We examined the placentas of patients with APAs to demonstrate a similar association with tissue injury in humans.

STUDY DESIGN

Immunohistochemical analyses with the use of antibodies to the complement products C4d, C3b, and C5b-9 were performed on paraffin-embedded tissue sections of placentas from 47 patients with APAs and 23 normal control patients.

RESULTS

We found evidence of increased complement deposition in the trophoblast cytoplasm (C4d and C3b), trophoblastic cell and basement membrane (C4d), and extravillous trophoblasts (C4d) of patients with APAs, compared with control patients. We report a correlation between placental pathologic features and complement deposition (C4d) in the trophoblastic cytoplasm, cell membrane, and basement membrane.

CONCLUSION

These findings are consistent with murine studies that implicate complement as a critical factor in the fetal tissue injury observed in antiphospholipid syndrome.

PIG-A mutations in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria and in normal hematopoiesis

PIG-A is an X-linked gene that is essential for the first step in the biosynthesis of glycosylphosphatidyl-inositol (GPI) anchors. A rare clonal hematopoietic stem cell disease, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), is caused by mutations in the PIG-A gene. PNH is an acquired disease that may arise de novo or emanate from aplastic anemia. PNH blood cells have an absence or marked deficiency of all GPI anchored proteins. Interestingly, rare GPI anchor deficient blood and marrow cells that harbor PIG-A mutations can also be found in most healthy controls. This review examines the clinical and biological relevance of PIG-A mutations in PNH, aplastic anemia and healthy controls.

In vivo characterization and therapeutic efficacy of a C5-specific inhibitor from the soft tick Ornithodoros moubata

The involvement of complement (C) in inflammatory diseases has driven the search for agents capable of inhibiting dysregulated complement activation. Many of these reagents inhibit the C3 convertases during the early stages of the cascade. However, a drawback of total systemic C inhibition, particularly in longterm treatment of chronic disease, is potentiation of infection and immune complex disease due to an inability to opsonize complexes and foreign cells and to lyse pathogens. Recent identification of a C5-binding protein in the salivary gland of the soft tick Ornithodoros moubata has enabled development of a terminal pathway-specific reagent, OmCI, with potential to ameliorate disease while leaving key physiological processes unaffected. Here we demonstrated that OmCI has broad cross-species activity. When given intravenously to rodents, OmCI totally ablated complement hemolytic activity, which gradually restored as C5 was resynthesized. The circulating half-life of OmCI was 30 h, demonstrating a much slower clearance than other small, biological agents. Using C5-sufficient and C5-deficient mice we showed that prolonged half-life was due to binding to plasma C5. Surface plasmon resonance analysis of C5 binding to OmCI confirmed a high binding affinity with a slow dissociation rate. OmCI was effective in preventing experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis induced by passive transfer in normal Lewis rats. OmCI ablated clinical disease, reduced C3 and C9 deposition at the neuro-muscular junction, and effected a marked reduction in cellular infiltration at this site. These data offer exciting prospects for targeted treatment of complement-mediated diseases without the detrimental inhibition of the opsonic roles of complement.

Complement in Lupus Nephritis: The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown

The complement system consists of 3 pathways and more than 30 proteins, including those with biological activity that directly or indirectly mediate the effects of this system, plus a set of regulatory proteins necessary to prevent injudicious complement activation on host tissue. The role for complement in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is paradoxic. On one hand, the complement system appears to have protective features in that hereditary homozygous deficiencies of classic pathway components are associated with an increased risk for SLE. On the other hand, immune complex-mediated activation of complement in affected tissues is clearly evident in both experimental and human SLE along with pathologic features that are logical consequences of complement activation. By using accurate mouse models of SLE, we have gained remarkable insights into pathogenic features likely relevant to the human disease, and the ability to test potential therapies, some of which have made it to standard clinical use. Studies in genetically altered mice and using recombinant protein inhibitors of complement have confirmed what was believed but unproven-early complement proteins C1q and C4 are protective whereas complement activation later in the pathways is proinflammatory and deleterious. Two complement inhibitors, soluble complement receptor 1 (TP10, Avant Immunotherapeutics, Needham, MA) and a monoclonal anti-C5 antibody (Eculizumab, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cheshire, CT) have been shown to inhibit complement safely and now are being investigated in a variety of clinical conditions. Although these and others earlier in their clinical development hold promise to be used therapeutically in lupus nephritis, this optimism must be tempered by the fact that the clinical trials to prove this remain fraught with obstacles.

Coagulation in the Pathophysiology of Hemolytic Anemias

Coagulation abnormalities are frequently reported in hemolytic anemias (HA). Several pathophysiologic mechanisms are common to different HA. In this review three different hemolytic disorders will be discussed.

In sickle cell disease and in β-thalassemia, a thrombophilic status has been well documented as multifactorial involving hemostatic changes and activation of the coagulation cascade. Moreover, in such disorders, elevated levels of endothelial adhesion protein (ICAM-1, ELAM-1, VCAM-1, von Willebrand factor, and thrombomodulin) are often increased, suggesting that endothelial activation may be involved in vascular occlusion. As an additional mechanism of hypercoagulability in thalassemia, a procoagulant status of thalassemic red cells was recognized.

The main clinical manifestation of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is HA, and the most common complications are thrombosis, pancytopenia, and myelodysplastic syndrome or acute leukemia. The intravascular hemolysis is explained by a deficiency of glycosil phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored complement regulatory proteins such as CD59 and CD55 on the membrane of red blood cells (RBCs), but the mechanism responsible for the increased incidence of thrombotic events in PNH remains unclear.

Recent advances have been made in understanding the coagulation involvement in a heterogeneous group of diseases, thrombotic microangiopathies (TMA) characterized by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia due to platelet clumping in the microcirculation, leading to ischemic organ dysfunction with neurologic symptoms and renal impairment.

Inherited complement regulatory protein deficiency predisposes to human disease in acute injury and chronic inflammatory statesthe examples of vascular damage in atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome and debris accumulation in age-related macular degeneration

In this chapter, we examine the role of complement regulatory activity in atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). These diseases are representative of two distinct types of complement-mediated injury, one being acute and self-limited, the other reflecting accumulation of chronic damage. Neither condition was previously thought to have a pathologic relationship to the immune system. However, alterations in complement regulatory protein genes have now been identified as major predisposing factors for the development of both diseases. In aHUS, heterozygous mutations leading to haploinsufficiency and function-altering polymorphisms in complement regulators have been identified, while in AMD, polymorphic haplotypes in complement genes are associated with development of disease. The basic premise is that a loss of function in a plasma or membrane inhibitor of the alternative complement pathway allows for excessive activation of complement on the endothelium of the kidney in aHUS and on retinal debris in AMD. These associations have much to teach us about the host's innate immune response to acute injury and to chronic debris deposition. We all experience cellular injury and, if we live long enough, will deposit debris in blood vessel walls (atherosclerosis leading to heart attacks and strokes), the brain (amyloid proteins leading to Alzheimer's disease), and retina (lipofuscin pigments leading to AMD). These are three common causes of morbidity and mortality in the developed world. The clinical, genetic, and immunopathologic understandings derived from the two examples of aHUS and AMD may illustrate what to anticipate in related conditions. They highlight how a powerful recognition and effector system, the alternative complement pathway, reacts to altered self. A response to acute injury or chronic debris accumulation must be appropriately balanced. In either case, too much activation or too little regulation promotes undesirable tissue damage and human disease.

Cutaneous vascular deposition of C5b-9 and its role as a diagnostic adjunct in the setting of diabetes mellitus and porphyria cutanea tarda

BACKGROUND

The cutaneous lesions of diabetes mellitus (DM) and porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) exhibit distinctive microvascular changes including basement membrane zone thickening and lamellation, morphologically appearing as hyaline-like alterations of the vessel wall. Immunofluorescence demonstrates homogeneous mantles of immunoglobulin in the microvasculature. The staining intensity is variable and in some cases can closely approximate those immunofluorescent changes seen in photoaged skin.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to establish an association between the microvascular changes seen in the skin from patients with DM and PCT and the presence of C5b-9 deposition, potentially defining the C5b-9 assay as an additional diagnostic adjunct.

METHODS

Routine light microscopy and immunofluorescence studies were conducted on skin biopsy specimens from 14 patients with cutaneous manifestations of DM and 17 patients with PCT. The immunofluorescence profile included IgG, IgM, IgA, C3, C3d, C4d, and C5b-9.

RESULTS

Fourteen of 14 DM and 17 of 17 PCT skin biopsy specimens revealed extensive granular and homogeneous vascular deposition of C5b-9; a similar pattern was observed for C3d and C4d. Control specimens from patients without DM and PCT, where C5b-9 was not an expected immunoreactant, were negative. Positive controls were cases of vasculitis, scleroderma, and dermatomyositis without DM and PCT where C5b-9 deposition was expected. C5b-9 deposition was observed and was of lesser magnitude than that encountered in patients with PCT or DM.

LIMITATIONS

We were unable to obtain detailed clinical information on some of the diabetic patients in regards to significant extracutaneous vascular complications. In addition, a correlation between hemoglobin 1 Ac levels and the extent of C5b-9 deposition could not be ascertained as the serum levels for hemoglobin 1 Ac were unknown.

CONCLUSION

Granular and homogeneous deposits of C5b-9 in vessels, along with homogeneous deposits of immunoglobulin within the blood vessels, are characteristic immunofluorescence findings in patients with DM and PCT. In regards to potential mechanisms of C5b-9 deposition, decreased metabolism of C5b-9 due to glycosylation of CD59 in the setting of DM and activation of complement by irradiated porphyrins in PCT are proposed. The extent of C5b-9 deposition suggests that this complex may play a pathogenetic role in the evolution of microvascular injury in patients with DM and PCT.

Role of the red blood cell in nitric oxide homeostasis and hypoxic vasodilation

Nitric oxide (NO) regulates normal vasomotor tone and modulates important homeostatic functions such as thrombosis, cellular proliferation, and adhesion molecule expression. Recent data implicate a critical function for hemoglobin and the erythrocyte in regulating the bioavailability of NO in the vascular compartment. Under normoxic conditions the erythrocytic hemoglobin scavenges NO and produces a vasopressor effect that is limited by diffusional barriers along the endothelium and in the unstirred layer around the erythrocyte. In hemolytic diseases, intravascular hemolysis releases hemoglobin from the red blood cell into plasma (decompartmentalizes the hemoglobin), which is then able to scavenge endothelial derived NO 600-fold faster than erythrocytic hemoglobin, thereby dysregulating NO homoestasis. In addition to releasing plasma hemoglobin, the red cell contains arginase which when released into plasma further dysregulates arginine metabolism. These data support the existence of a novel mechanism of human disease, hemolysis associated endothelial dysfunction, that potentially participates in the vasculopathy of iatrogenic and hereditary hemolytic conditions. In addition to providing an NO scavenging role in the physiological regulation of NO-dependent vasodilation, hemoglobin and the erythrocyte may deliver NO as the hemoglobin deoxygenates. Two mechanisms have been proposed to explain this principle: 1) Oxygen linked allosteric delivery of S-nitrosothiols from S-nitrosated hemoglobin (SNO-Hb), and 2) a nitrite reductase activity of deoxygenated hemoglobin that reduces nitrite to NO and vasodilates the human circulation along the physiological oxygen gradient. The later newly described role of hemoglobin as a nitrite reductase is discussed in the context of hypoxic vasodilation, blood flow regulation and oxygen sensing.

A patient with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, T cell large granular lymphocyte clonal expansion, and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) has been described in association separately with T cell large granular lymphocyte (LGL) clonal expansions and plasma cell dyscrasias. We describe a patient with anemia related to hemolytic PNH, with concurrent T cell LGL oligoclonal expansion and IgG lambda monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. Peripheral blood flow cytometry revealed decreased expression of CD55 and CD59 on erythrocytes and decreased expression of CD55 and CD66 on neutrophils. An LGL population was present in the peripheral blood and was characterized as oligoclonal by polymerase chain reaction-based analysis of the T cell receptor gamma-chain variable region. Serum protein electrophoresis with immunofixation showed a low level IgG lambda monoclonal protein. We describe the diagnostic evaluation of this patient and provide a brief review of the reported associations among PNH, LGL clonal expansion, and monoclonal gammopathy.

The complement inhibitor eculizumab in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria

BACKGROUND

We tested the safety and efficacy of eculizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against terminal complement protein C5 that inhibits terminal complement activation, in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).

METHODS

We conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter, phase 3 trial. Patients received either placebo or eculizumab intravenously; eculizumab was given at a dose of 600 mg weekly for 4 weeks, followed 1 week later by a 900-mg dose and then 900 mg every other week through week 26. The two primary end points were the stabilization of hemoglobin levels and the number of units of packed red cells transfused. Biochemical indicators of intravascular hemolysis and the patients' quality of life were also assessed.

RESULTS

Eighty-seven patients underwent randomization. Stabilization of hemoglobin levels in the absence of transfusions was achieved in 49% (21 of 43) of the patients assigned to eculizumab and none (0 of 44) of those assigned to placebo (P<0.001). During the study, a median of 0 units of packed red cells was administered in the eculizumab group, as compared with 10 units in the placebo group (P<0.001). Eculizumab reduced intravascular hemolysis, as shown by the 85.8% lower median area under the curve for lactate dehydrogenase plotted against time (in days) in the eculizumab group, as compared with the placebo group (58,587 vs. 411,822 U per liter; P<0.001). Clinically significant improvements were also found in the quality of life, as measured by scores on the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue instrument (P<0.001) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire. Of the 87 patients, 4 in the eculizumab group and 9 in the placebo group had serious adverse events, none of which were considered to be treatment-related; all these patients recovered without sequelae.

CONCLUSIONS

Eculizumab is an effective therapy for PNH.

Clinical Management of Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria in Pregnancy: A Case Report and Updated Review

Because women with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) are especially vulnerable to thromboembolic phenomena, pregnancy is a time of increased risk for both mother and fetus. However, pregnancies in affected women are rare; only case reports and small studies have been reported so far. We present the case of a 20-year-old woman with PNH who, while undergoing medical tests in preparation for a bone marrow transplant, was discovered to be pregnant. We also review the obstetric literature on pregnancy complicated by PNH, which indicates that both maternal and fetal mortality is exceptionally high (11.6% and 7.2%) with the major cause of maternal mortality being thromboembolism. Major maternal complications are more frequent postpartum (30.2%) than antepartum or intrapartum (16.3%).

TARGET AUDIENCE

Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Family Physicians.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After completion of this article, the reader should be able to recall that paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) during pregnancy increases adverse events for both the mother and the fetus, state that maternal and fetal mortality are both high, and explain that the major complications occur in the postpartum period.

[Complement component deficiencies in human disease]

The complement system, composed of several plasma and membrane proteins, is an integral part of the innate immune system and plays a role in inflammatory response, destruction of infectious agents, elimination of immune complexes, and control of the specific (adaptive) immune response. Hereditary deficiencies of complement components are relatively rare and associated with susceptibility to a wide variety of clinical diseases. Complement components may be target of antibodies (anti-C1q, factor H, C3 alternative convertase, or C3NeF autoantibodies or anti-C1 inhibitor antibodies) that lead to acquired deficiencies. Testing the complement system is especially necessary in patients with autoimmune diseases, some kidney diseases, recurrent infections (especially meningococcal), and angioedema. Precise clinical descriptions of the phenotypes associated with these deficiencies and their molecular diagnosis are necessary to improve our understanding of the role that the complement system plays in the physiopathological mechanisms of these diseases and to propose the most specific treatment for them.