Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA)
Overview
Autoantibodies attack red blood cells at a faster rate than they can be replaced, leading to dangerously low red blood cell levels.
Common Symptoms
Paleness, fatigue, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, chills, dark urine, and backache.
Coexisting Diseases and Conditions
Systemic lupus erythematosus and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. When AIHA coexists with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, it is called Evans syndrome.
Risk Factors and Prevalence
AIHA is twice as common in females as males, and the risk increases with age. AIHA can also occur after the use of certain drugs such as penicillin or following a bone marrow stem cell transplant. Viral infections such as Epstein-Barre and hepatitis have also caused AIHA.
Recent Research
- Development and exacerbation of autoimmune hemolytic anemia following COVID-19 vaccination: A systematic review (2023)
- New Therapies for the Treatment of Warm Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (2022)
- Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia in Inflammatory Bowel Disease-Report of a Case and Review of the Literature (2022)
- Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles analysis in primary warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia patients (2023)
Sources
- Article Sources
Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia – an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. (n.d.). Retrieved July 12, 2021, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/autoimmune-hemolytic-anemia
Anemia, Hemolytic, Acquired Autoimmune. (n.d.). NORD (National Organization for Rare Disorders). Retrieved July 12, 2021, from https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/anemia-hemolytic-acquired-autoimmune/
Garratty, G. (2009). Drug-induced immune hemolytic anemia. Hematology. American Society of Hematology. Education Program, 73–79. https://doi.org/10.1182/asheducation-2009.1.73
Hosoba, S., Jaye, D. L., Cohen, C., Roback, J. D., & Waller, E. K. (2015). Successful treatment of severe immune hemolytic anemia after allogeneic stem cell transplantation with bortezomib: Report of a case and review of literature. Transfusion, 55(2), 259–264. https://doi.org/10.1111/trf.12815
Michalak, S. S., Olewicz-Gawlik, A., Rupa-Matysek, J., Wolny-Rokicka, E., Nowakowska, E., & Gil, L. (2020). Autoimmune hemolytic anemia: Current knowledge and perspectives. Immunity & Ageing : I & A, 17, 38. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12979-020-00208-7