Identifying risk factors and optimizing standard of care for patients with acquired haemophilia A: Results from a Czech patient cohort.

INTRODUCTION

Acquired haemophilia A (AHA) is a rare autoimmune disorder, characterized by bleeds of varying severity caused by autoantibodies against factor VIII (FVIII).

AIM

Identify risk factors associated with AHA-related deaths/relapses and assess the effect of increased corticosteroid doses.

METHODS

AHA patients treated across two specialist centres in the Czech Republic, generally receiving first-line haemostatic therapy with rFVIIa and immunosuppression with corticosteroids/cyclophosphamide, were included. We analysed the association between early death (within 8 weeks of diagnosis [considered disease-related]) and age, malignancy, FVIII levels and bleeding severity. Risk factors associated with reduced 2-year survival and relapse incidence, and the effect of increased corticosteroid doses on early death and remission were also assessed.

RESULTS

The demographics of the described cohort (n = 66) were similar to other AHA registries. Early death occurred in 20% of cases. Unlike age and malignancy, FVIII levels <1% and severe bleeding were associated significantly with early death (P = .010 and P = .046, respectively). Patients with underlying malignancy or requiring continued haemostatic therapy exhibited significantly decreased 2-year survival compared with those without these risk factors (P = .007 and P = .006, respectively). Patients with an underlying autoimmune disease relapsed significantly more than those without (P = .015). Higher corticosteroid doses were associated with a significantly increased incidence of early deaths (P < .001), but also with early remission (P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Based on this rather large patient cohort, we were able to evaluate the significance of several risk factors associated with treatment outcomes in AHA and the effect of initial treatment with corticosteroids on survival and time to remission.