ANTICARDIOLIPIN ANTIBODIES IN CLASSIC PEDIATRIC HEMOLYTIC-UREMIC SYNDROME - A POSSIBLE PATHOGENIC ROLE

Anticardiolipin (aCL) antibodies have been associated with thrombocyto penia, hemolytic anemia and an increased risk of thrombosis in differe nt vascular locations, even in the absence of lupus. The classic hemol ytic-uremic syndrome is a postinfectious acute renal failure character ized by hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia and the presence of widespr ead glomerular thrombosis in the kidney, with pathogenic mechanisms th at remain to be identified. In order to establish the frequency of aCL antibodies in this syndrome and to identify a possible role in the pa thogenesis and clinical manifestations, 17 patients were studied durin g the reactant phase of the disease looking for an association between the presence of aCL antibodies (isotypes IgG, IgA and IgM) and the ma in clinical variables of the syndrome. In 8 patients Ige aCL was prese nt, 2 patients had IgM aCL, and 1 had IgA antibodies on the solid-phas e ELISA aCL assays, but no association could be demonstrated with the clinical variables studied. Although it might correspond to an epiphen omenon related to the triggering intestinal infection, a pathogenic ro le cannot be discarded and additional studies should be performed.