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Unusual Warm Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia in Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis

Address correspondence to Fouad N. Boctor, M.D., Ph.D., Division of Laboratory Medicine, Geisinger Medical Center, 100 N. Academy Ave., Danville, PA 17822, USA; tel 570 214 8063; fax 570 271 6105; e-mail fnboctor{at}geisinger.edu.

Warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia (WAIHA), a rare disease (0.2-1 per 100,000 population), ranges from an indolent form with mild hemolysis to a life-threatening condition that necessitates transfusion of incompatible red cells. WAIHA can be either idiopathic or secondary to medications or to a lymphoproliferative disorder. We report a case of profound hemolytic anemia in a liver-transplant eligible patient who was diagnosed with cirrhosis secondary to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The patient initially was treated with red cell transfusion, iv immunoglobulin, and steroids. He developed acute renal failure that required dialysis. Subsequent management included plasmapheresis and rituximab therapy. The patient developed hepatorenal syndrome and died from progressive hepatic failure. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an association between NASH and WAIHA.

Keywords: non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, hepatic cirrhosis