Long-term eculizumab improves clinical outcomes in atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome.
BACKGROUND
Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a rare genetic disorder caused by chronic uncontrolled complement activation.


METHODS
We present a 4-year-old girl with aHUS who had multiple severe clinical manifestations of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) including acute kidney injury, dilated cardiomyopathy, and cardiorespiratory arrest. She was managed with intensive plasma exchange and hemodialysis, which could not halt the progression of TMA. The initial single dose of eculizumab only temporarily improved the clinical symptoms of TMA. Sustained improvement of renal, hematological, and cardiac values were only achieved upon institution of chronic treatment with eculizumab. During long-term treatment with eculizumab (>2.5 years), she has had no further clinical manifestations of TMA, and required neither plasma exchange nor hemodialysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Chronic eculizumab treatment was associated with control of complement-mediated TMA and sustained long-term improvement in renal and cardiac function.
Pediatric Nephrology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Pg. Vall d'Hebron 129-139, 08039, Barcelona, Spain. rvilaltacasas@gmail.com
Ramon
R
Vilalta
Enrique
E
Lara
Alvaro
A
Madrid
Sara
S
Chocron
Marina
M
Muñoz
Alex
A
Casquero
Jose
J
Nieto
D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D065766:Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006463:Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans
D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; C481642:eculizumab