Anaphylactoid reactions and nephrotic syndrome--a considerable risk during factor IX treatment in patients with haemophilia B and inhibitors: a report on the outcome in two brothers.

Anaphylaxis/anaphylactoid reactions have recently been reported after few treatments with factor IX concentrates in patients with haemophilia B at the same time as inhibitors to factor IX were demonstrated. In some of these cases nephrotic syndrome has appeared during immune tolerance induction (ITI) with high doses of factor IX concentrates. Gene deletions seem to be associated with a high risk of developing antibodies to factor IX. This report presents two brothers with deletion of 1 bp in exon f of the factor IX gene. Both showed anaphylactoid reactions and they were desensitized using slow i.v. injections of factor IX. At the time of anaphylaxis, inhibitors of factor IX in a low titre could be demonstrated. The elder brother responded well after a short time on ITI and has no spontaneous bleedings on regular prophylaxis although in a somewhat higher dose than expected. On the other hand, in spite of comparable regimens, the younger brother has so far been resistant to ITI. Moreover, during treatment with extremely high doses of factor IX concentrate he developed nephrotic syndrome which only slowly subsided after treatment with corticosteroids and withdrawal of factor IX.

Elevated circulating levels of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist but not IL-1 agonists in hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.

The familial form of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is an inherited disease with disturbed immunomodulation and characterized by fever, hepatosplenomegaly, cytopenia, hypertriglyceridemia, and coagulopathy, i.e., findings which are similar to many of the reported biological effects of the inflammatory cytokines. Due to the previously shown hypercytokinemia in active HLH with elevated levels of interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interferon-gamma, it has been suggested that cytokine dysregulation may be of pathophysiological importance. Here we have assayed the serum levels of the members of the IL-1 ligand family, the two agonists IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta and the antagonist IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), in nine children with HLH and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from four children. Serum IL-1ra was elevated in all patients with active disease to a degree which correlated well with disease activity. Furthermore, the levels decreased day by day during treatment of a patient who suffered a relapse. Moreover, high levels of IL-1ra were also detected in CSF during active disease. However, IL-1 beta levels were all within normal limits and circulating IL-1 alpha levels were normal in all but two patients.

Myelodysplastic syndrome following epipodophyllotoxin therapy in familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.

The prognosis for patients with familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL) is poor, but the survival of affected children has been markedly prolonged by treatment with the epipodophyllotoxin derivatives etoposide and teniposide and by bone marrow transplantation. Secondary malignancies following epipodophyllotoxin therapy, including myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myelocytic leukemia (AML), have recently been reported. We describe a 9-year-old boy, treated with epipodophyllotoxins for FHL since he was 3 years old, who developed MDS. He was administered etoposide (cumulative doses of 6.9 g/m2 intravenously and 13.6 g/m2 orally) and teniposide (3.4 g/m2 intravenously), but no other systemic antineoplastic drugs. This is, to our knowledge, the first report of a child with FHL developing MDS or AML. Moreover, MDS or AML following administration of epipodophyllotoxins as the sole systemic chemotherapeutic drug has not been reported previously. Supportive treatments, including the use of immunomodulating drugs, may reduce the risk for secondary leukemia in patients with FHL.