Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: A Comprehensive Review

Coexistence of Monoclonal Gammopathy and Hemolysis in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Unveiling a Rare Case

In B-cell malignancies, there is a periodic presence of monoclonal gammopathies. In a notable multitude of cases with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a cluster of antigen-inciting B-cells sometimes shows the presence of monoclonal gammopathy and autoimmune hemolysis simultaneously. The detection of monoclonal proteins or light chains in urine and/or serum is significantly increased in cases of CLL and can be identified using highly sensitive laboratory methods, such as serum protein electrophoresis. Hemolysis in these patients can be detected by the direct Coombs test (DCT). Several scientific research data indicate that the findings of hemolysis and the presence of monoclonal proteins have an adverse impact on the survival of patients. Nevertheless, there is no perspicuous proof to indicate the prognostic importance of hemolysis and monoclonal gammopathy in patients with CLL, even though monoclonal proteins and hemolysis in CLL generally occur at prevalences of 60%-80% and 5%-10%, respectively, very few cases have been reported in the literature. Owing to the peculiarity, we report a case of CLL diagnosed in 2023. The 66-year-old woman had developed the progressive disease along with the existence of monoclonal gammopathy and hemolysis. Although the manifestation of both findings could be due to the use of highly sensitive methods, it may also be attributable to an autoimmune process or progression from similar or distinct B-cell clones.

Clinical and laboratory profile of patients with positive direct antiglobulin test attended at a university hospital in Goias, Brazil

OBJECTIVE

To clinically and laboratory characterize patients with a positive direct antiglobulin test (DAT) treated at the Hospital das Clínicas of the Federal University of Goiás (HC-UFG).

METHODS

A retrospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out collecting data from medical records of patients with a positive DAT who were treated at HC-UFG between August 2021 and August 2022.

RESULTS

Eighty-four patients with positive polyspecific DAT results were screened in the clinical laboratory. Fifty-four patients had a laboratory profile compatible with autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA), however, among these, 16 patients already had a diagnosis of AIHA in their medical records. The most common symptoms present among AIHA patients were pallor, asthenia, fatigue and dyspnea. For the remaining patients, the most common symptoms were severe thrombocytopenia, anemia, renal dysfunction, fever, myalgia, headache, thrombosis, asthenia, hematuria and joint pain. Only one patient had primary AIHA, that is, he had no evident underlying disease. The majority of AIHA patients (75 %) underwent corticosteroid therapy with 60 % having a positive response. For patients without AIHA, prednisone was the most frequently prescribed medication in 17 (25 %) patients, followed by hydroxychloroquine (14 patients - 20.1 %).

CONCLUSION

It is essential to evaluate patients with positive DAT in detail in order to understand the real clinical case. The DAT serological result alone does not arrive at a conclusive diagnosis of AIHA, and so it must be evaluated in conjunction with both clinical data and other laboratory tests, such as hemoglobin concentration and hemolysis tests (reticulocytes, lactate dehydrogenase and/or haptoglobin).

Detection of red cell alloantibody prior to overflow phenomenon in a case of warm AIHA secondary to Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Myasthenia Gravis: A case report

INTRODUCTION

Defects in the lymphoid system have been linked to immune dysregulation, which might explain why lymphoid neoplasms and immunological disorders tend to occur concurrently. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), characterised by the accumulation of dysfunctional lymphocytes, is associated with autoimmune cytopenias such as autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA). Detection of underlying alloantibody in warm AIHA, is challenging for any transfusion medicine specialist. This report highlights the significance of overflow phenomenon in detection of alloantibody in a case of warm AIHA secondary to CLL and myasthenia gravis.

CASE REPORT

A 56-year-old male with a history of myasthenia gravis and thymoma progressed to B-cell CLL presented with severe anaemia and thrombocytopenia leading to multiple red blood cell (RBC) transfusions in the last two months. Clinical profile and laboratory workup suggested features of AIHA, and subsequent immunohaematological workup hinted towards an impending overflow phenomenon due to differential reactivity pattern observed between serum and eluate with antibody screen/identification panel. The eluate was pan-reactive with an antibody screen/ identification panel, while the serum showed a discrete anti-C alloantibody pattern. A compatible and antigen-negative RBC unit was successfully transfused, followed by medical management.

DISCUSSION

The overflow phenomenon in AIHA depends on antibody titre and its affinity for RBC antigens. In the index case, the impending 'overflow or spillover' of autoantibodies into the patient's serum allowed us to detect underlying alloantibody without performing allogeneic adsorption and transfuse antigen-negative and crossmatch compatible PRBC unit.

CONCLUSION

This case emphasises the significance of understanding the overflow phenomenon in AIHA as it can guide a transfusion medicine specialist in the early detection and identification of underlying alloantibodies, which is crucial for appropriate transfusion management in AIHA. However, early presentation and timely workup, along with a high level of suspicion, is crucial to identify this phenomenon.

Postinfantile Giant Cell Hepatitis in Native and Allograft Livers: A Multi-Institutional Clinicopathologic Study of 70 Cases

Postinfantile giant cell hepatitis (PIGCH) is a rare hepatitis pattern in adults with variable etiologies and clinical outcomes. We conducted a multi-institutional retrospective study to define the clinicopathologic characteristics of patients with PIGCH. A total of 70 PIGCH cases were identified and reviewed for pathological features, including fibrosis, cholestasis, inflammation, steatosis, necrosis, and apoptosis, as well as the distribution of giant cells and the maximum number of giant cells per high-power field. Demographic and clinical data, including age, sex, laboratory results, etiologies, and follow-up results, were recorded. Among the 70 cases, 40% (28/70) were associated with autoimmune liver diseases, followed by 9 (13%) with unknown etiology, 8 (11%) with viral infection, 5 (7%) with medications, 5 with combined etiologies, and 4 (6%) with malignancies (mostly chronic lymphocytic leukemia). Notably, another 16% were de novo PIGCH in liver allografts, most of which occurred after a rejection event. During follow-up, 26 (37%) patients died of the disease and 44 (63%) were alive. Deceased patients were characterized by older age (mean age, 54.9 vs 45.5 years; P = .02), higher alkaline phosphatase level (mean value, 253.3U/L vs 166.3 U/L; P = .03), higher fibrosis stage (stage 3-4 vs stage 0-2, 57.7% vs 29.6%; P = .03), being more likely to have de novo PIGCH after transplantation (23.1% vs 11.4%; P = .04), and being less likely to have primary autoimmune liver disease etiology (26.9% vs 47.7%; P = .04). These results indicate that PIGCH is a rare pattern of liver injury associated with different etiologies and variable clinical outcomes. Autoimmune liver disease with PIGCH is associated with better survival, whereas de novo PIGCH in allografts is associated with poorer survival. Older age, higher alkaline phosphatase level, and advanced fibrosis are adverse prognostic factors.

A Peculiar CLL Case with Complex Chromosome 6 Rearrangements and Refinement of All Breakpoints at the Gene Level by Genomic Array: A Case Report

INTRODUCTION

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the most common leukemia in Western countries, is a mature B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by the accumulation of neoplastic CD5+ B lymphocytes, functionally incompetent and usually monoclonal in origin, in bone marrow, lymph nodes and blood. Diagnosis occurs predominantly in elderly patients, with a median age reported between 67 and 72 years. CLL has a heterogeneous clinical course, which can vary from indolent to, less frequently, aggressive forms. Early-stage asymptomatic CLL patients do not require immediate therapeutic intervention, but only observation; treatment is necessary for patients with advanced disease or when "active disease" is observed. The most frequent autoimmune cytopenia (AIC) is autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AHIA). The main mechanisms underlying the appearance of AIC in CLL are not fully elucidated, the predisposition of patients with CLL to suffering autoimmune complications is variable and autoimmune cytopenia can precede, be concurrent, or follow the diagnosis of CLL.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 74-year-old man was admitted to the emergency room following the finding of severe macrocytic anaemia during blood tests performed that same day, in particular the patient showed a profound asthenia dating back several months. The anamnesis was silent and the patient was not taking any medications. The blood examination showed an extremely high White Blood Cell count and findings of AIHA in CLL-type mature B-cell lymphoproliferative neoplasia. Genetic investigations: Conventional karyotyping was performed and it obtained a trisomy 8 and an unbalanced translocation between the short arm of chromosome 6 and the long arm of chromosome 11, concurrent with interstitial deletions in chromosomes 6q and 11q that could not be defined in detail. Molecular cytogenetics (FISH) analyses revealed Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) monoallelic deletion (with loss of ATM on derivative chromosome 11) and retained signals for TP53, 13q14 and centromere 12 FISH probes. TP53 and IGHV were not mutated. Array-CGH confirmed trisomy of the entire chromosome 8 and allowed us to resolve in detail the nature of the unbalanced translocation, revealing multiple regions of genomic losses on chromosomes 6 and 11.

DISCUSSION

The present case report is an unusual CLL case with complex karyotype and refinement of all breakpoints at the gene level by the genomic array. From a genetic point of view, the case under study presented several peculiarities.

CONCLUSIONS

We report the genetic findings of a CLL patient with abrupt disease onset, so far responding properly to treatments despite the presence of distinct genetic adverse traits including ATM deletion, complex karyotype and chromosome 6q chromoanagenesis event. Our report confirms that interphase FISH alone is not able to provide an overview of the whole genomic landscape in selected CLL cases and that additional techniques are required to reach an appropriate cytogenetic stratification of patients.

Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia Following Uncomplicated Spinal Surgery: A Report and Brief Review

This report and literature review describes a case of a Coombs test-positive warm antibody autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) in a patient following routine spinal surgery without complications. This is the first reported case of symptomatic direct Coombs test-positive warm antibody AIHA developing in a neurosurgical patient. The patient is a 73-year-old female with left radicular leg pain who developed warm antibody AIHA following standard uncomplicated spinal surgery. A positive direct Coombs test confirmed the diagnosis in combination with characteristic laboratory values. The patient did not have any significant predisposing risk factors. On postoperative day (POD) 23, she presented with fatigue and characteristic laboratory values of decreased hemoglobin, elevated bilirubin, lactate dehydrogenase, and decreased haptoglobin. Hematology initiated and monitored appropriate treatment and proposed that the working hematologic diagnosis is stress-induced AIHA secondary to recent spinal surgery. The patient recovered well from a neurosurgical perspective and reported no neurosurgical complaints during the last follow-up. A female presenting with left radicular leg pain developed symptomatic anemia following uncomplicated spinal surgery. A positive direct Coombs test in combination with characteristic laboratory values confirmed the diagnosis of warm antibody AIHA.

Post-infantile Giant Cell Hepatitis: A Literature Review and Meta-analysis

Post-infantile giant cell hepatitis (PIGCH) is a rare disease entity in adults with a multifactorial etiology and widely variable clinical courses and outcomes. The factors associated with the worse outcomes of this disease entity are still unclear. We identified 68 PIGCH patients by searching PubMed and performed meta-analysis. Among the 68 patients, 32% of the cases were associated with autoimmune disorders, followed by 21% associated with viral infections, 10% with medication, and 7% with malignancy. Twenty-four percent of the patients had more than one etiological factor, and 6% had other uncommon etiologies or an etiology that could not be identified. At the time of this report, 17 patients had died of the disease (poor outcome), and 51 patients remained alive with the disease (good outcome). Compared to the patients with a good outcome, the patients with a poor outcome were characterized by older age, lower levels of platelets and albumin, higher level of total bilirubin, and a diffuse distribution pattern of giant cells in the liver. There were no differences in gender distribution, aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, etiological distribution, or other histological features, including interface hepatitis, necrosis, lobular inflammation, portal inflammation, cholestasis, or fibrosis. Further studies would be needed to better understand the disease mechanisms and unmask any additional etiological factors and targeted therapies.

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia: causes and consequences

INTRODUCTION

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is classified according to the direct antiglobulin test (DAT) and thermal characteristics of the autoantibody into warm and cold forms, and in primary versus secondary depending on the presence of associated conditions.

AREAS COVERED

AIHA displays a multifactorial pathogenesis, including genetic (association with congenital conditions and certain mutations), environmental (drugs, infections, including SARS-CoV-2, pollution, etc.), and miscellaneous factors (solid/hematologic neoplasms, systemic autoimmune diseases, etc.) contributing to tolerance breakdown. Several mechanisms, such as autoantibody production, complement activation, monocyte/macrophage phagocytosis, and bone marrow compensation are implicated in extra-/intravascular hemolysis. Treatment should be differentiated and sequenced according to AIHA type (i.e. steroids followed by rituximab for warm, rituximab alone or in association with bendamustine or fludarabine for cold forms). Several new drugs targeting B-cells/plasma cells, complement, and phagocytosis are in clinical trials. Finally, thrombosis and infections may complicate disease course burdening quality of life and increasing mortality.

EXPERT OPINION

Beyond warm and cold AIHA, a gray-zone still exists including mixed and DAT negative forms representing an unmet need. AIHA management is rapidly changing through an increasing knowledge of the pathogenic mechanisms, the refinement of diagnostic tools, and the development of novel targeted and combination therapies.

Bruton's Kinase Inhibitors for the Treatment of Immunological Diseases: Current Status and Perspectives

The use of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors has changed the management of patients with B-cell lymphoid malignancies. BTK is an important molecule that interconnects B-cell antigen receptor (BCR) signaling. BTK inhibitors (BTKis) are classified into three categories, namely covalent irreversible inhibitors, covalent reversible inhibitors, and non-covalent reversible inhibitors. Ibrutinib is the first covalent, irreversible BTK inhibitor approved in 2013 as a breakthrough therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients. Subsequently, two other covalent, irreversible, second-generation BTKis, acalabrutinib and zanubrutinib, have been developed for lymphoid malignancies to reduce the ibrutinib-mediated adverse effects. More recently, irreversible and reversible BTKis have been under development for immune-mediated diseases, including autoimmune hemolytic anemia, immune thrombocytopenia, multiple sclerosis, pemphigus vulgaris, atopic dermatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren's disease, and chronic spontaneous urticaria, among others. This review article summarizes the preclinical and clinical evidence supporting the role of BTKis in various autoimmune, allergic, and inflammatory conditions.