Serologic characteristics of oxaliplatin antibodies in 15 patients with drug-induced immune hemolytic anemia.

BACKGROUND: Oxaliplatin, a third-generation platinum derivative is commonly used in combination treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Since 2008, it is the second most common cause of drug-induced immune hemolytic anemia (DIIHA) investigated in our laboratory. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Samples from fifteen patients including nine (60%) with intravascular hemolysis, suspected of having DIIHA were studied for the presence of anti-oxaliplatin. Direct antiglobulin tests (DATs) and tests with oxaliplatin-treated red blood cells (RBCs) or untreated and enzyme-treated RBCs in the presence of oxaliplatin were performed. A pool of normal AB sera with no unexpected antibodies was used as a control for nonimmunologic protein adsorption (NIPA). RESULTS: Eleven (73%) of the fifteen patients had antibodies to oxaliplatin that reacted with drug-treated RBCs and untreated RBCs in the presence of drug by tube and/or gel method. Lower-titer reactivity (<20) obtained with four patients' sera and the corresponding pooled normal sera was most likely due to NIPA. Eighty seven percent (13/15) of the patients had positive DAT either with anti-IgG only (33%), IgG + C3d (40%), or C3d only (13%). Two patients had a negative DAT. No directly agglutinating antibody was observed with the pools of normal donor's sera in the presence of oxaliplatin. CONCLUSION: Anti-oxaliplatin can cause severe intravascular hemolysis. Complement can usually be detected on the patient's RBCs and anti-oxaliplatin can be detected in the patient's serum. RBC-bound albumin detection with anti-human albumin needs to be performed to confirm NIPA which could have contributed to the patient's hemolytic anemia.

Severe hemolysis after plasma transfusion in a neonate with necrotizing enterocolitis, Clostridium perfringens infection, and red blood cell T-polyagglutination.

BACKGROUND: Red blood cell (RBC) Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen exposure (T activation) in infants with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) has occasionally been associated with posttransfusional intravascular hemolysis thought to be due to anti-T antibodies in the donor plasma. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We describe an infant with NEC and Clostridium perfringens infection complicated by severe hemolysis after plasma transfusion. After this case, infants with confirmed NEC were prospectively evaluated for T activation. We checked for hemolysis in patients with T activation receiving plasma-containing blood products. RESULTS: The infant had received 80 mL of fresh-frozen plasma (FFP). His RBCs displayed strong T activation, and agglutination was observed with four of six ABO-compatible FFP units. A direct antiglobulin test was negative. IgM-class anti-T antibodies were present in small amounts (titer of 8) in the transfused FFP. Anti-T antibodies from the blood donor were not hemolytic in vitro. In the prospective study, T activation was observed in three of 28 infants with NEC (11%). One infant presented moderate T activation and two infants presented very strong T activation but only moderate decreases in sialic acid expression on the RBC membrane. These three infants presented no signs of hemolysis after transfusion with unwashed blood products or FFP. CONCLUSION: Anti-T antibodies are unlikely to be the etiologic factor for the hemolytic reactions observed in infants with NEC and T activation. Massive RBC desialylation and the direct action of bacterial toxins are more probable causes. Strict avoidance of plasma-containing blood products does not seem justified in these infants.

Immunohematologic tolerance of chronic transfusion exchanges with erythrocytapheresis in sickle cell disease.

BACKGROUND: Sickle cell disease (SCD) has become a major public health issue. Hydroxyurea and red blood cell (RBC) transfusion are the cornerstone treatments. Erythrocytapheresis (ECP) is an automated method for transfusion exchange. Given that ECP requires more blood than conventional transfusion, there is concern about alloimmunization and hemolytic transfusion reactions. We evaluate the incidence of hemolytic transfusion reactions and alloimmunization rates in patients receiving conventional blood transfusions and in patients participating in long-term blood exchange programs with ECP. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: All hemolytic transfusion reactions and alloimmunizations in SCD patients were recorded over the period 2006 to 2011. Conventional transfusions and ECP were compared. RESULTS: The cohort consisted of 188 SCD patients. The median (±SD) age was 23 (±14) years. The ECP and conventional transfusion groups comprised 49 and 139 patients, respectively. The prevalence of alloimmunization was 33% in the ECP group and 22% in the conventional transfusion group (p = 0.1797). The alloimmunization/RBC unit (RBCU) ratio was lower in the ECP group than in the conventional transfusion group (1.6 and 11.6 per 1000, respectively; p < 0.0001). Although patients in the ECP group received more than 10 times more RBCUs than patients in the conventional transfusion group (206 vs. 19 RBCUs per patient, respectively; p < 0.0001), none of the four recorded hemolytic transfusion reactions (n = 4) occurred. CONCLUSION: Regarding alloimmunization, ECP exhibits a good immunohematologic safety profile relative to conventional transfusion in a large SCD mainly adult cohort.