Neutropenia and anaemia due to carbimazole-dependent antibodies

Carbimazole-dependent antibodies to erythrocytes were detected in the sera of three anaemic patients who had been treated with carbimazole for hyperthyroidism. By the use of Rhnull-typed erythrocytes, we could show that some of these were directed against the proteins of the Rh complex. Carbimazole-dependent antibodies eluted from erythrocytes showed no binding to other blood cells. One patient also presented with neutropenia and mild thrombocytopenia. Additional carbimazole-dependent antibodies against the neutrophil-specific Fcgamma receptor IIIb (FcgammaRIIIb, CD16b) and the broadly expressed platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 (PECAM-1; CD31) were detected in this patient's serum. Surprisingly, the PECAM-1-reactive drug-dependent antibodies were also detectable in the sera of the other two patients with normal leucocyte and platelet counts. We assume that carbimazole can induce cell lineage-specific drug-dependent antibodies that cause cytopenia and also drug-dependent antibodies against the broadly expressed PECAM-1 molecule that may cause mild but not severe cytopenia.