Hematology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Front Immunol. 2021 Nov 25;12:791429. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.791429. eCollection 2021.
The complex pathophysiologic interplay between SARS-CoV-2 infection and complement activation is the subject of active investigation. It is clinically mirrored by the occurrence of exacerbations of complement mediated diseases during COVID-19 infection. These include complement-mediated hemolytic anemias such as paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA), particularly cold agglutinin disease (CAD), and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). All these conditions may benefit from complement inhibitors that are also under study for COVID-19 disease. Hemolytic exacerbations in these conditions may occur upon several triggers including infections and vaccines and may require transfusions, treatment with complement inhibitors and/or immunosuppressors (i.e., steroids and rituximab for AIHA), and result in thrombotic complications. In this manuscript we describe four patients (2 with PNH and 2 with CAD) who experienced hemolytic flares after either COVID-19 infection or SARS-Cov2 vaccine and provide a review of the most recent literature. We report that most episodes occurred within the first 10 days after COVID-19 infection/vaccination and suggest laboratory monitoring (Hb and LDH levels) in that period. Moreover, in our experience and in the literature, hemolytic exacerbations occurring during COVID-19 infection were more severe, required greater therapeutic intervention, and carried more complications including fatalities, as compared to those developing after SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, suggesting the importance of vaccinating this patient population. Patient education remains pivotal to promptly recognize signs/symptoms of hemolytic flares and to refer to medical attention. Treatment choice should be based on the severity of the hemolytic exacerbation as well as of that of COVID-19 infection. Therapies include transfusions, complement inhibitor initiation/additional dose in the case of PNH, steroids/rituximab in patients with CAD and warm type AIHA, plasma exchange, hemodialysis and complement inhibitor in the case of atypical HUS. Finally, anti-thrombotic prophylaxis should be always considered in these settings, provided safe platelet counts.
新型冠状病毒感染与补体激活之间复杂的病理生理学相互作用是当前研究的热点。这在临床上表现为 COVID-19 感染期间补体介导疾病的加重,包括阵发性睡眠性血红蛋白尿症(PNH)、自身免疫性溶血性贫血(AIHA)、冷凝集素病(CAD)和溶血尿毒综合征(HUS)等补体介导的溶血性贫血。这些疾病都可能从正在研究的 COVID-19 疾病的补体抑制剂中获益。这些疾病的溶血性加重可能由多种诱因引起,包括感染和疫苗,可能需要输血、补体抑制剂和/或免疫抑制剂(如 AIHA 的皮质类固醇和利妥昔单抗)治疗,并导致血栓并发症。在本文中,我们描述了 4 例(2 例 PNH 和 2 例 CAD)在 COVID-19 感染或 SARS-CoV2 疫苗接种后发生溶血性发作的患者,并对最新文献进行了综述。我们报告大多数病例发生在 COVID-19 感染/疫苗接种后 10 天内,并建议在此期间进行实验室监测(Hb 和 LDH 水平)。此外,根据我们的经验和文献,与 COVID-19 感染后发生的溶血性加重相比,COVID-19 感染期间发生的溶血性加重更严重,需要更大的治疗干预,并且更易发生并发症,包括死亡,这表明为该患者群体接种疫苗的重要性。患者教育仍然是及时识别溶血性发作的体征/症状并转介医疗的关键。治疗选择应基于溶血性加重的严重程度以及 COVID-19 感染的严重程度。治疗包括输血、PNH 患者补体抑制剂的起始/加量、CAD 和温型 AIHA 患者的皮质类固醇/利妥昔单抗、血浆置换、血液透析和补体抑制剂治疗非典型 HUS。最后,应始终考虑在这些情况下进行抗血栓预防,前提是血小板计数安全。