Abstract
Background and Aims
Atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome (aHUS) is a rare disease that manifests as complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), which can lead to severe organ damage. Some patients with aHUS may present with malignant hypertension (MHT); both conditions can result in TMA. The objective of this analysis was to characterise patients with aHUS and MHT.
Method
In this analysis, patients from the Global aHUS Registry (NCT01522183) were included if they were diagnosed with MHT and were followed ≥90 days after initial aHUS symptom presentation or diagnosis date; patients were excluded if they withdrew from the registry or discontinued treatment with eculizumab due to a diagnosis other than aHUS. Demographics and clinical characteristics were evaluated.
Results
Seventy-one of 1903 registry patients were included in the analysis. Clinical characteristics are presented in the table. Seventeen patients (24%) had a paediatric (<18 years) onset of disease, and 54 (76%) were adults at aHUS diagnosis; female patients were slightly overrepresented (61%). Sixty-nine percent of patients were reported to have MHT at around the same time as aHUS diagnosis (+/-2 months), while 11% and 13% experienced MHT before and after aHUS diagnosis, respectively. aHUS triggering conditions were reported in 6/71 patients (8%) (Table). Cardiovascular (27%) and gastrointestinal (21%) symptoms were the most commonly reported extra-renal manifestations. Eight patients (11%) had a reported family history of aHUS and 40 patients (56%) had a complement pathogenic variant or an anti-CFH-antibody. Thirty-three patients (46%) had a kidney transplant; of these, 20 were prescribed eculizumab in the peri- or post-transplant period.
Conclusion
In this analysis of patients with aHUS and MHT, the observed high prevalence of pathogenic variants in complement genes or anti-CFH antibodies, alongside the high proportion of patients with extrarenal manifestations and/or requiring kidney transplant, indicate a high severity of presentation and poor prognosis of aHUS associated with MHT.
Recurrent atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome post kidney transplant due to aCD46mutation in the setting ofSMARCAL1-mediated inherited kidney disease
