✍ Scribed by Daan Dierickx; André Delannoy; Khalid Saja; Gregor Verhoef; Drew Provan
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
Autoimmune hematological disorders encompass a broad group of hematological conditions characterized by the loss of self‐tolerance to a variety of antigens. Despite good response to first‐line therapy in the majority of patients, relapses are common, necessitating new and safe therapeutic options. The anti‐CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab has led to substantial improvement in the treatment of malignant and immune‐mediated disorders involving B cells. Although experience with rituximab in immune‐mediated hematological disorders is rarely supported by randomized trials, there is now substantial experience with rituximab suggesting that anti‐CD20 therapy is an effective and well‐tolerated alternative to immunosuppressive therapy in these disorders. However, caution is needed based on recent reports describing—sometimes severe—rituximab‐related complications. Am. J. Hematol. 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
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## Abstract Autoimmune hemolytic anemia due to warm reactive IgM autoantibodies is unusual, severe, and often fails to respond to standard immunosuppressive therapies in both adults and children. A 6‐year‐old girl with common variable immunodeficiency had longstanding steroid dependent, splenectomy