Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Ulmenweg, 18, Erlangen, Germany.
Department of Nephropathology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
BMC Nephrol. 2020 Mar 24;21(1):104. doi: 10.1186/s12882-020-01766-0.
BACKGROUND: Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a rare disease characterized by systemic thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) reflected by hemolysis, anemia, thrombocytopenia and systemic organ injury. The optimal management of aHUS-patients when undergoing kidney transplantation to prevent recurrence in the allograft is eculizumab, an approved recombinant antibody targeting human complement component C5. CASE PRESENTATION: A 39 year-old woman presented with severe abdominal pain, diarrhea and emesis for 3 days. In her past medical history she had experienced an episode of aHUS leading to end stage renal disease (ESRD) in 2007 and a genetic workup revealed a heterozygous mutation in the membrane cofactor protein gene. In 2014 she underwent cadaveric kidney transplantation. Four years later she had to go back on hemodialysis due to allograft failure following a severe systemic cytomegalovirus infection resulting in transplant failure. At presentation she still received calcineurin-inhibitor therapy and reported subfebrile temperatures and pain projecting over the transplant prior to the current symptoms. A contrast enhanced CT-scan of the abdomen revealed inflammatory wall thickening of the small intestine. Diagnostic endoscopy discovered fresh blood in the small intestine without a clear source of bleeding. Histopathology of the small intestine biopsies showed severe thrombotic microangiopathy. Of note, the patient persistently had no signs of systemic hemolysis. Since the TMA of the small intestine was most likely due to aHUS, eculizumab treatment was initiated which abolished the symptoms. CONCLUSION: Here we report a patient with thrombotic microangiopathy with predominant manifestation in a single organ, the small intestine, due to aHUS with absence of systemic signs and symptoms. aHUS patients usually require a secondary trigger for the disease to manifest. In this case, the trigger may be attributed to the dysfunctional renal transplant, which was subsequently explanted. Histology of the explanted kidney showed severe inflammation due to purulent nephritis and signs of cellular rejection. After nephrectomy, we continued eculizumab therapy until the patient completely recovered. No signs of TMA recurred after discontinuation of eculizumab, further supporting the concept of the renal transplant as the main trigger of TMA of the small intestine in our patient.
背景:非典型溶血尿毒综合征(aHUS)是一种罕见的疾病,其特征为全身性血栓性微血管病(TMA),表现为溶血、贫血、血小板减少和全身器官损伤。为了预防同种异体移植物复发,aHUS 患者在接受肾移植时的最佳治疗方法是使用依库珠单抗,这是一种靶向人补体成分 C5 的已批准的重组抗体。
病例介绍:一名 39 岁女性因严重腹痛、腹泻和呕吐 3 天就诊。在她的既往病史中,她曾于 2007 年发生过一次 aHUS 导致终末期肾病(ESRD),基因检测显示膜辅助蛋白基因突变杂合子。2014 年,她接受了尸体供肾移植。4 年后,由于严重的全身巨细胞病毒感染导致移植物失功,她不得不再次进行血液透析。就诊前,她仍接受钙调磷酸酶抑制剂治疗,诉体温低热和移植前腹痛。腹部增强 CT 扫描显示小肠炎症性壁增厚。诊断性内镜检查发现小肠有新鲜血液,但无明确出血来源。小肠活检的组织病理学显示严重的血栓性微血管病。值得注意的是,该患者一直没有全身溶血的迹象。由于小肠的 TMA 很可能是由 aHUS 引起的,因此开始使用依库珠单抗治疗,症状消失。
结论:本病例报告了一名以单个器官(小肠)为主表现的 TMA 患者,其病因是 aHUS,无全身症状和体征。aHUS 患者通常需要二次触发因素才能发病。在本例中,触发因素可能归因于功能失调的肾移植,随后进行了移植肾切除术。移植肾的组织学检查显示严重的炎症,原因是化脓性肾炎和细胞性排斥反应的迹象。肾切除术后,我们继续使用依库珠单抗治疗,直到患者完全康复。停用依库珠单抗后,TMA 无复发迹象,进一步支持了我们患者的移植肾是小肠 TMA 的主要触发因素的概念。
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