Autoimmunity in Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Immunology
• Oncology

Background:

• Waldenström's Macroglobuliemia (WM) is a rare B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder.
• Autoimmune phenomena are increasingly recognized in lymphoproliferative disorders.
• The spectrum and prevalence of autoimmune manifestations in WM require further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To retrospectively investigate the frequency and types of autoimmune manifestations in a cohort of WM patients.
• To determine the temporal relationship between WM diagnosis and the onset of autoimmune conditions.
• To explore potential correlations between autoimmune manifestations and clinical/laboratory features of WM.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 57 consecutive patients diagnosed with Waldenström's Macroglobuliemia.
• Review of clinical records and serological data to identify autoimmune manifestations.
• Categorization of autoimmune conditions, including Coombs' positive hemolytic anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, and IgM-cardiolipin syndrome.

Main Results:

• 51% of patients exhibited clinical and/or serological autoimmune manifestations.
• Autoimmune hemolytic anemia and seropositive rheumatoid arthritis were the most common (16% each).
• Inflammatory gastric ulcer (12%) and IgM-cardiolipin syndrome (11%) were also prevalent; 40% of autoimmune issues were present at WM diagnosis.

Conclusions:

• Autoimmune manifestations are frequent in Waldenström's Macroglobuliemia.
• These conditions can precede or follow WM diagnosis, impacting patient management.
• A correlation between gastric ulcers, parietal cell autoantibodies, and Helicobacter pylori infection was observed.