Successful treatment of Evans syndrome post liver transplant with splenectomy and switch from tacrolimus to cyclosporine

Evans syndrome in a young man with rare autoimmune associations and transplanted liver

Evans syndrome is classically characterised by two or more cytopenias occurring either concomitantly or sequentially. Most commonly, these are autoimmune haemolytic anaemia and immune thrombocytopenia purpura. It is mostly associated with specific autoimmune conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus and lymphoproliferative disorders. We present a case report of Evans syndrome in a young man with primary sclerosing cholangitis and Crohn’s disease, neither of which are classically associated with the condition. The case also further adds to the number of case reports of Evans syndrome occurring in patients following liver transplantation.

Complete Remission of Refractory Immunothrombocytopenic Purpura After Tacrolimus Replacement With Cyclosporine in a Case of Living Related Liver Transplant

Immunothrombocytopenic purpura is a possible complication after liver transplant. The therapy for immunothrombocytopenic purpura after liver transplant is similar to that of primary immunothrombocytopenic purpura. This therapy consists of corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, and immunosuppressive agents such as cyclosporine and rituximab. There are a few cases of immunothrombocytopenic purpura in patients who recovered after cessation of tacrolimus administration. Here, we show an intractable case of immunothrombocytopenic purpura in a living related liver transplant recipient treated with some of these. We observed complete remission after switch ofthe immunosuppressive agent from tacrolimus to cyclosporine. The patient was an infant girl aged 18 months who underwent livingr elated liver transplant for biliary atresia when she was 6 months old. Liver graft was a left lateral segment from her father. Purpura and severe thrombocytopenia developed after 11 months.There was no effect of the first-line therapies, as described in the Japan guidelines for immunothrombocytopenic purpura.Thrombocytopenia was extreme, as shown by a blood count of 0 platelets/μL. Administration of rituximab was started. However, her platelet count had not increased 8 weeks after rituximab initiation. As a trial therapy, we switched tacrolimus to cyclosporine. She showed complete remission 1 month after this drug conversion. Thus, a switch from tacrolimus to other immunosuppressive agents as a therapy for immunothrombocytopenic purpura after living related liver transplant should be considered.

The first reported case of concurrent trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole-induced immune hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia

BACKGROUND

Drug-induced immune hemolytic anemia (DIIHA) and drug-induced immune thrombocytopenia (DIIT) are rare but dangerous complications of pharmacotherapy that may be underrecognized in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients due to overlap of signs and symptoms with those of more common disease processes.

CASE REPORT

A 61-year-old woman with NK-cell deficiency and GATA-2-associated myelodysplastic syndrome, status post-recent allogeneic HSCT (Day +58), presented with 3 days of acute-onset severe back pain, muscle cramps, and increasingly dark urine. She was found to be anemic, thrombocytopenic, and in acute renal failure. On admission, the direct antiglobulin test was positive for complement (C3) only. After careful review of her medication list, the possibility of DIIHA was raised. She had started taking trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) for Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia prophylaxis 24 days prior on a weekend dose schedule. Serologic tests on peripheral blood samples were performed using standard methods. Drug studies were performed at an immunohematology reference laboratory.

RESULTS

The patient's serum showed hemolysis of donor red blood cells in the presence of TMP-SMX and also TMP-SMX-induced platelet antibodies. The patient was treated with transfusions, hemodialysis, and immunosuppressive agents. Her clinical condition improved and she was discharged after 8 days in stable condition.

CONCLUSION

This case describes the first reported concurrent DIIHA and DIIT due to TMP-SMX-induced antibodies in an HSCT patient. DIIHA and DIIT can present a diagnostic challenge in the setting of intermittent medication dosing.

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia in solid organ transplantation-The role of immunosuppression

Hemolysis after solid organ transplantation can be caused by both immune and non-immune-mediated mechanisms, and the evaluation must take into account issues distinctive to the post-transplant period. Autoimmune hemolytic anemia usually occurs within the first year and has been attributed to immunosuppressive treatment, infections, or underlying post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder. Review of the literature revealed 59 cases with autoimmune hemolytic anemia mostly in children after liver transplantation. Almost all of the patients at the time of diagnosis received immunosuppression with tacrolimus, and first-line treatment with steroids and/or intravenous immunoglobulin was ineffective for complete remission. Rituximab was used as second-line treatment especially in patients with underlying lymphoproliferative disorders whereas sirolimus showed encouraging results.

Successful Treatment of Severe Immune Thrombocytopenia After Orthotopic Liver Transplant

Here, we report a case of severe immune thrombocytopenia that occurred after orthotopic liver transplant. On day 16 after transplant, the patient was readmitted to our hospital with a platelet count of 0 cells/mL, with the count remaining at a low level of 1000 to 10 000 cells/mL for 46 days. A diagnosis was made, after exclusion of other causes, of thrombocytopenia. Platelet blood transfusion and high-dose prednisone (1mg/kg/d) combined with intravenous immunoglobulin (0.5g/kg/d) were administered with no improvement. After additional treatments, which included altered use of immunosuppressive agents, changing adefovir to lamivudine and continuous steroid therapy, the patient was discharged with a platelet count of 55 000 cells/mL. Both liver and renal functions generally stayed well during hospitalization. The patient was discharged uneventfully and achieved remission during 10-month follow-up after discharge.

Refractory autoimmune hemolytic anemia after intestinal transplant responding to conversion from a calcineurin to mTOR inhibitor

AIHA is a rare and serious complication of solid organ transplantation. Herein, we report four cases of warm or mixed AIHA in pediatric patients following combined liver, small bowel and pancreas transplant. The hemolysis was refractory to multiple treatment modalities including steroids, rituximab, IVIG, plasmapheresis, cytoxan, discontinuation of prophylactic penicillin, and a change in immunosuppression from tacrolimus to cyclosporine. All patients had resolution or marked improvement of hemolysis after discontinuation of maintenance of CNI and initiation of sirolimus immunosuppression. One patient developed nephrotic syndrome but responded to a change in immunosuppression to everolimus. Three of the four patients continue on immunosuppression with sirolimus or everolimus without further hemolysis, evidence of rejection or medication side effects. Based on our experience and review of similar cases in the literature, we have proposed a treatment algorithm for AIHA in the pediatric intestinal transplant patient population that recommends an early change in immunosuppressive regimen from CNIs to sirolimus therapy.

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in pediatric solid organ transplant recipients, report of five cases and review of the literature

Cytopenias are common among pediatric SOT; however, autoimmune cytopenias are infrequently reported. We report five cases of autoimmune cytopenias in pediatric LT patients: two with isolated IgG-mediated AIHA, two with ITP, and one with Evans syndrome (ITP and AIHA). All patients were maintained on tacrolimus as immunosuppression. Viral illness commonly preceded the autoimmune cytopenias. All patients responded well to medical therapy (steroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, and rituximab) and lowering tacrolimus serum level. Prognosis appears to be worse when more than one cell line (e.g., Evans syndrome) is affected, and/or there is no preceding viral illness. A critical literature review of autoimmune cytopenias in children following SOT is conducted. Autoimmune cytopenias are a rarely reported complication of pediatric SOT, but clinicians taking care of pediatric transplant recipients need to be aware of this complication.