Summary:There are few reports describing the association between antiphospholipid antibodies, including the lupus anticoagulant, and bone marrow or peripheral stem cell transplantation. Autoimmune syndromes and autoantibodies such as lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin antibodies have been described following allogeneic bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, particularly in patients who develop chronic graft-versushost disease (GVHD). The association between Lupus anticoagulant and acute GVHD has not been previously described. We report a patient who developed a de novo lupus anticoagulant on day +34 after a matched-related allogeneic peripheral stem cell transplant. No clinical evidence of systemic thrombosis was observed and the lupus anticoagulant disappeared following immunosuppressive therapy with a combination of steroids and infliximab. Bone Marrow Transplantation (2003) 31, 129-131. doi:10.1038/sj.bmt.1703794 Keywords: lupus anticoagulant; acute GVHD; bone marrow transplantation; peripheral stem cell transplantation When allogeneic bone marrow or peripheral stem cells are the source of stem cells, donor-derived T cells recognize and react to histoincompatible recipient antigens and cells, a phenomenon that forms the basis for the development of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). 1 GVHD remains a major complication of allogeneic bone marrow and peripheral stem cell transplantation (BM/PSCT). Autoimmune syndromes and autoantibodies including lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin antibodies have been described following allogeneic BM/PSCT, particularly in patients who develop chronic GVHD. 2,3 The lupus anticoagulant is an antibody that binds to a complex of anionic phospholipid-bound prothrombin, resulting in prolongation of phospholipid-dependent clotting times. 4 Newly acquired lupus anticoagulant has been reported in association with chronic GVHD, 5 but not with acute GVHD (aGVHD). We report a case of an acquired lupus anticoagulant that developed on day +34 after a matchedrelated allogeneic peripheral stem cell transplant.
Case reportA 28-year-old man diagnosed with aplastic anemia received a matched-related allogeneic PSCT. The conditioning regimen included cyclophosphamide at a daily dose of 50 mg/ kg on days À5 to À2 and antithymocyte globulin (ATG) at a dose of 30 mg/kg administered on days À4 to À2, given 12 h after cyclophosphamide. Immunosuppression consisted of tacrolimus at a dose of 0.03 mg/kg daily and methotrexate at a dose of 10 mg/m 2 on day +1 and 5 mg/m 2 on days +3, +6 and +11. The patient's immediate post-transplant course was uneventful with engraftment on day +16 and discharge from the unit on day +24. The patient presented to the bone marrow transplant unit on day +34 with symptoms suggestive of gastrointestinal aGVHD including abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. Biopsy of the colon confirmed the diagnosis. Additional laboratory examination disclosed an isolated prolongation of the aPTT of 82.7 s (normal range: 23.8-32.2 s). The baseline value of the patien...