Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0002874 (aplastic anemia)
 5,905 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The specific antibody response to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antigens of 41 bone marrow transplant recipients with leukemia or aplastic anemia was examined retrospectively by immunofluorescence test (IF) over 1 year. We observed high titers (greater than 640) of IgG-viral capsid antigen (VCA) with emergence of IgG-early antigen (EA) and frequent absence or low levels of Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen (EBNA) antibodies. After absorption to remove rheumatoid factor (RF), five of the 41 recipients had IgM-VCA antibody to EBV, which appeared between weeks 26 and 48 after BMT and persisted for 1-4 months. No heterophil antibodies were detected in these sera, and none of the five recipients had a history of infectious mononucleosis.
 ...
PMID:Epstein-Barr virus serology in bone marrow transplantations: a one-year retrospective study with detection of EBV IgM-VCA-specific antibodies. 301 81

To determine the clinical characteristics and outcome of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection presenting severe autoimmune cytopenia unrelated to interferon alpha therapy, we analyzed characteristics and outcomes of 35 patients with HCV (16 from our departments and 19 from the literature). We considered active autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AHA) as a decrease of at least 2 g/dL in hemoglobin levels, an increase of at least 0.6 mg/dL in the serum unconjugated bilirubin level, a reticulocyte count >5%, and a positive direct Coombs test. Severe neutropenia was defined as a neutrophil count <0.5 x 10(9)/L, and severe thrombocytopenia as a platelet count <30 x 10(9)/L. We identified the following cytopenias: AHA (17 cases), severe thrombocytopenia (16 cases), aplastic anemia (2 cases), severe neutropenia (1 case), refractory sideroblastic anemia (1 case), and pure red cell aplasia (1 case). Three patients simultaneously presented 2 types of severe cytopenias. Twenty-seven patients (77%) were female and 8 (23%) male, with a mean age at diagnosis of cytopenia of 51.7 years (range, 18-84 yr). Immunologic markers were detected in 19 (68%) of 28 patients, the most frequent being hypocomplementemia in 16 (57%), cryoglobulins in 15 (54%), antinuclear antibodies in 12 (43%), and rheumatoid factor in 5 (18%). Other associated processes were autoimmune diseases in 14 (50%) of 28 and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection in 3 (9%) of 32. We found clinical and immunologic differences between HCV patients with AHA and those with severe thrombocytopenia. Patients with HCV-related AHA showed a higher prevalence of associated autoimmune diseases (71%), cryoglobulins (67%), and cirrhosis (59%). All had a good response to corticosteroids, but a poor prognosis (47% mortality). In contrast, patients with HCV-related severe thrombocytopenia had a lower prevalence of associated autoimmune diseases (11%), a poorer response to corticosteroids (55%), and lower mortality (6%), with HIV/HBV coinfections in some patients. The 35 cases presented demonstrate that different types of immune-mediated cytopenias may be severe and clinically significant in patients with HCV infection. Hemolytic anemia and severe thrombocytopenia were the most frequent cytopenias observed. Most patients responded well to corticosteroids, although a higher rate of mortality was observed in those with liver cirrhosis.
 ...
PMID:Severe autoimmune cytopenias in treatment-naive hepatitis C virus infection: clinical description of 35 cases. 1264 Jan 85

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) may mimic clinical and serological features of various autoimmune diseases. We present a case of a 23-year-old man who developed vitiligo, symmetric polyarthritis, high titre rheumatoid factor, antinuclear antibodies and anti-double stranded DNA antibodies after allogenic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for severe aplastic anaemia. He was treated with low dose oral steroids, non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs and azathioprine and clinical improvement of polyarthritis were observed initially. However, atlantoaxial subluxation (C1-C2) and rapid progression of symmetrical joint space narrowing in knees and wrists developed within 1 year. cGVHD mimicking rheumatoid arthritis with unusual presentations was observed in this patient.
 ...
PMID:Chronic graft-versus-host disease mimicking rapid progressive rheumatoid arthritis with atlantoaxial subluxation. 2188 56

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been recognized to be both a hepato- and lymphotropic virus. HCV lymphotropism represents an essential detail in the pathogenesis of virus-related autoimmune and lymphoproliferative disorders, ranging from clonal expansion of B-cells with organ and non-organ-specific autoantibody production up to overt non-Hodgkin's lymphoma along a continuous step-by-step model of B-cell lymphomagenesis, where the intermediated mixed cryoglobulinemia could be considered as a stage of suppressible antigen-driven lymphoproliferation. The HCV long-lasting extrahepatic replicative state generates an abnormal systemic immunological response, including rheumatoid factor (RF) and cryo- and non-cryoprecipitable immune complexes, as well as clinical manifestations, comprising dermatitis, polyarthralgias and arthritis, pulmonary disease, aplastic anemia, glomerulonephritis and vasculitis. The mechanism of these extra-hepatic disorders is thought of as linked to immune complex disease, but their pathogenesis is poorly clarified. Immune-suppressive treatment could induce high-level hepatitis C viremia and impair hepatic disease. We report a female patient, whose chronic HCV-related liver cirrhosis with associated explosive, but oligosymptomatic lymphoproliferative immune response, i.e., RF beyond three thousand times the upper of normal range (unr), type II cryoglobulinemia with cryocrit 40% and monoclonal gammopathy IgM-k, has been successfully and safely treated by long-lasting (sixty-six months) combined antiviral therapy (pegylated interferon alfa and ribavirin), at moderate and tapering dose regimen, prolonged for nearly 24 months after the first viral suppression. At the last follow-up (fifty-one months), the patient was showing very-long term antiviral response, progressive decline of secondary immune activation and absence of significant side-effects. Further research is required to fully verify the real impact on therapeutic choice/regimen.
...
PMID:Successful and Safe Long-Term Standard Antiviral Therapy in a Patient with "Explosive" Immune Response in Course of HCV-Related Liver Cirrhosis. 2610 66