Clinical Heterogeneity Of Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia: A 35-Years Retrospective Study Of 157 Patients

The clinical presentation of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is greatly heterogeneous, from mild/compensated to life-threatening forms. The aim of this study was to correlate the clinical and serological characteristics of the disease, usually classified as warm (WAIHA), cold (CHD), and mixed, based on the thermal and isotype characteristics of the anti-RBC antibody (IgG, IgM or both, respectively). One-hundred fifty seven AIHA patients (61 M and 96 F, median age 57, range 5-95) referred to our institution from 1978 to September 2012 were investigated. They had been followed-up for a median of 26 months (range 12-271), and 50% were still in follow-up. As regards the thermal characteristics 40% of cases were WAIHA, 32% CHD, 19% mixed forms and 9% atypical (12 DAT negative and 1 DAT positive for IgA only). Considering the severity of anemia at onset 33% of cases had Hb levels10 g/dL. The most severe AIHA cases were mainly mixed (18/30, 60% p=0.001) and atypical (6/13, 46%) forms, whereas only a small fraction of CHD was characterized by a severe onset (8/51, 16% p=0.002). Reticulocytopenia ( Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.