title: Haemolytic anaemia after childhood Escherichia coli O 157 .H7 infection: are females at increased risk?
abstract: We conducted a 4-year retrospective cohort study to better define the risk of haemolytic anaemia and haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) in children following sporadic gastrointestinal infection with the O 157.H7 serotype of Escherichia coli. Of the 72 children infected with this organism, 9 (12.5%) developed haemolytic anaemia, 6 of whom had HUS. No child in a cohort of 72 age-matched controls with Campylobacter jejuni gastroenteritis developed haemolytic anaemia (P = 0.003). Females had a significantly greater risk of developing haemolytic anaemia after E. coli O 157. H7 infection than did males (8/29 females v. 1/43 males; P = 0.003). In a logistic regression model, female gender emerged as the only statistically significant risk factor for haemolytic anaemia (odds ratio 3.85; 95% confidence interval 1.24-12). These results are consistent with recent reports of a moderate increase in the risk of HUS for females.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa School of Medicine, Canada.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Rowe
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Walop
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lior
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mackenzie
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000743:Anemia, Hemolytic / Q000209:etiology*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000235:genetics; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000150:complications*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000150:complications*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006463:Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D012737:Sex Factors; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; D006454:Hemoglobins; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1