An Association between Thalassaemia and Autoimmune Haemolytic Anaemia (AIHA)

Abstract

An association between thalassemia and autoimmune hemolytic anemia (IHA) was not previously recognized. Ten patients with thalassemic diseases gave positive results to antiglobulin test with polyvalent antiserum. Tests with monovalent antisera revealed Ig on the red cells in all cases. From history of blood transfusion, autoantibodies following alloimmunization were very unlikely. IgG, either alone or together with IgM or IgA, was the predominant antibody on the red cells. All cases had warm type AIHA and responded dramatically well with steroid treatment, except 3, who eventually needed splenectomy which responded in 2 and failed in 1.