MIXED-TYPE AUTOIMMUNE HEMOLYTIC-ANEMIA IN A PATIENT WITH HIV-INFECTION

A young HIV-infected patient presented with a severe auto-immune haemo lytic anaemia with both warm and cold auto-antibodies, an infrequent c ategory of anti-erythrocyte auto-immunity, Serological findings were c ompatible with the presence of a low-titre, high-thermal-amplitude ant i-I cold-reacting antibody and a pan-reactive warm-reactive auto-antib ody. Immunochemical characterisation of the warm antibody failed to id entify any membrane protein acting as autoantigen, This is, to our kno wledge, the first reported case of mixed-type autoimmune haemolytic an aemia in a patient with HIV infection, Overt haemolysis is a very rare complication in HIV-infected patients, despite the high prevalence of a positive direct antiglobulin test reported in these patients. This suggests that HIV infection is a condition in which anti-erythrocyte a uto-immunity is a serological finding without haemolytic effects in th e large majority of cases.