Thromboembolic complications of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in an immunocompromised patient with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: a case report

A serious thrombotic event in a patient with immune thrombocytopenia requiring intravenous immunoglobulin: a case report

BACKGROUND

Immune thrombocytopenia is an acquired autoimmune disease. Recently, there has been evidence of thrombotic risk in patients with immune thrombocytopenia, but the mechanism is still inconclusive. Intravenous immunoglobulin infusion therapy is considered an efficient treatment; however, it still is associated with adverse events of fever, chills, and hypotension, as well as serious complications such as thrombosis. We report a case a patient with relapsed immune thrombocytopenia who developed ischemic stroke after an intravenous immunoglobulin infusion.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 49-year-old Thai woman with relapsed/refractory immune thrombocytopenia came to our hospital with a large hematoma at the right buttock, and her platelet was decreased to 3 × 10⁹/L. She was admitted to our hospital for intravenous immunoglobulin administration. One hour after completion of intravenous immunoglobulin infusion, the patient's sister complained that the patient was unconscious and could not move both legs and arms. Emergency computed tomography of the brain showed no abnormal findings, such as brain edema, intracranial hemorrhage, or infarction. One day later, repeat computed tomography of the brain displayed extensive acute ischemic changes and loss of gray-white differentiation of bilateral cerebral hemispheres.

CONCLUSIONS

We performed an extensive literature review to determine the possible causes of serious thrombotic events in immune thrombocytopenia between the predictive factors of the disease and intravenous immunoglobulin. Although intravenous immunoglobulin is an effective treatment, thrombotic complications can occur. We emphasize that in patients with atherosclerosis risk factors or thrombophilia, the appropriateness of administering an intravenous immunoglobulin infusion should be carefully evaluated.

The risk of hospitalization for respiratory tract infection (RTI) in children who are treated with high-dose IVIG in Kawasaki Disease: a nationwide population-based matched cohort study

Background

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an immune-mediated systemic vasculitis, and infection plays an important role in the pathophysiology of KD. The susceptibility to infectious disease in patients with KD remains largely unclear. This study aimed to investigate the risk of respiratory tract infection (RTI)-related hospitalizations in children with KD.

Methods

Data from the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database was analyzed. We excluded patients with history of congenital abnormality, allergic diseases, or hospitalization history. Children with KD were selected as KD group and age- and sex-matched non-KD patients were selected as control group with 1:4 ratio. Both cohorts were tracked for one year to investigate the incidences of RTI-related hospitalizations. Cox regression hazard model was used to adjust for confounding factors and calculate the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR).

Results

Between January 1996 and December 2012, 4,973 patients with KD were identified as the KD group and 19,683 patients were enrolled as the control group. An obviously reduced risk of RTI-related hospitalizations was observed in KD patients (aHR: 0.75, 95% CI [0.66-0.85]). The decreased risk persisted through the first six-months follow-up period with a peak protection in 3-6 months (aHR: 0.49, 95% CI [0.37-0.64]).

Conclusions

KD patients had approximately half reduction of risk for RTI-related hospitalizations. The protective effects persisted for at least six months. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the entire mechanism and investigate the influences of intravenous immunoglobulin.

Survival and Clinical Aspects for Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in Kermanshah, Iran

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)is the most common leukemia in adults in Western countries but is relatively rare in Asia. Immune hemolytic anemia, Evan's syndrome, lymphadenopathy, organomegaly and B symptoms are the main complaints of patients in CLL. The present retrospective analysis evaluated a group of 109 patients with CLL over a 9-year period, studying correlations between sex, age and overall survival. The patients were hospitalized in the Clinic of Hematology and Oncology, Kermanshah, Iran, between 2006 and 2014. Data analysis for sex and age was performed using IBM SPSS19 and overall survival was plotted by Kaplan- Meier plot, Log-rank test in Graph Pad prism 5 Software for five-year periods. The mean age of diagnosis for CLL patients was 60.73 years, 59.6% male. Survival rate patients was 64% and mean overall survival was 38.5 months. In the Rai system, fourteen patients (12.8%) had stage III and twenty eight patients (25.7%) had stage IV. Most frequent clinical features in patients with CLL were lymphadenopathy (38.7%) and organomegaly (34%), respectively. There is not relationship between sex and age in patients but overall survival rate in females was higher than in males. In Asian countries, CLL is more in male and in age above 60 years. Complaints about lymphadenopathy and virus infection are prevalent.

Mortality and morbidity in patients with X-linked agammaglobulinaemia

BACKGROUND

X-linked agammaglobulinaemia (XLA) is a genetic disorder characterised by a defect in the generation of mature B cells, lack of antibodies production, and susceptibility to recurrent bacterial infections. Understanding of the risk factors responsible for morbidity and mortality in these patients can help in a better management of this disorder. However, there is a lack of specific studies in the literature regarding the morbidity and mortality of XLA patients. This study is designed to evaluate morbidities and mortality and survival rates in Iranian patients with XLA diagnosis during the past 20 years.

METHODS

We have registered the clinical data of the XLA patients and followed them up until 2010. At the time of diagnosis, a four-page questionnaire including complete medical information was filled out for all patients. Follow-up information was gathered either by reviewing the patients' hospital records or regularly visiting the patients.

RESULTS

Among 41 patients, 26.8% died during the follow up period. All of the complications before the initiation of treatment such as pneumonia, otitis media and diarrhoea were reduced after immunoglobulin replacement, except sinusitis and conjunctivitis. There were significant associations between some immunological and clinical characteristics such as lymphocyte subsets, consanguinity marriage and mortality.

CONCLUSION

Despite recent advances in the treatment of XLA, these patients still suffer from severe complications. Associations between poor prognosis and clinical and some immunological characteristics of the patients may help physicians to select poor prognoses patients at higher risk of mortality to develop prevention strategies for them.