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Acquired immune cytopenias post‐cardiac transplantation respond to rituximab
Author(s) -
Tubman Venée N.,
Smoot Leslie,
Heeney Matthew M.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
pediatric blood and cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.116
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1545-5017
pISSN - 1545-5009
DOI - 10.1002/pbc.20761
Subject(s) - medicine , rituximab , immune thrombocytopenia , transplantation , immune system , immunology , antibody
Hematologic abnormalities following solid organ transplantation are infrequently autoimmune in origin. We present a series of autoimmune cytopenias developing as a late complication of pediatric cardiac transplantation. Autoimmune cytopenias represented include autoimmune hemolytic anemia, acquired Glanzmann thrombasthenia, and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Standard therapies were used in each patient without sustainable results. Eventually, each patient was treated with and responded to rituximab. In this report, we review these cases, propose potential mechanisms for development of autoimmune cytopenias, and discuss our experience with rituximab in managing refractory autoimmune cytopenias. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2007;48:339–344. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.