Autoantibodies against Erythropoietin in a Patient with Pure Red-Cell Aplasia

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Abstract
Autoimmunity is often implicated in pure red-cell aplasia. Approximately 10 to 15 percent of patients with pure red-cell aplasia have thymomas,1 and remission of the anemia occurs in 25 to 30 percent of these patients after the thymoma is removed.2 In other patients there are immunologic abnormalities, such as hypogammaglobulinemia,3 monoclonal immunoglobulins,4 antithyroid antibodies,5 antinuclear antibodies,6,7 and autoimmune hemolytic anemia.3,8 Immunosuppressive therapy is successful in many patients,2,9-12 and a good response to plasmapheresis has been reported in two patients.13,14