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Published on: September 7, 2022
[Autoimmune neutropenia in children]
Merete Debois Kølbæk1, Bent Windelborg, Kaspar René Nielsen
1Børneafdelingen, Regionshospitalet Herning, 7400 Herning, Denmark. meretedebois@hotmail.com
Insights
Autoimmune neutropenia in children causes frequent infections. Prophylactic antibiotics may offer clinical benefits, suggesting evaluation for this condition in children with low neutrophil counts.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Immunology
- Hematology
Background:
- Autoimmune neutropenia (AIN) is a rare condition characterized by the immune system attacking neutrophils.
- It can lead to recurrent bacterial infections, posing significant health risks in children.
Observation:
- Presents three pediatric cases of autoimmune neutropenia with diverse infections, including respiratory tract infections and septic coxitis.
- Follow-up over 1-3 years revealed limited spontaneous remission, with only one patient achieving complete remission after 15 months.
Findings:
- Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) treatment was ineffective in one child.
- Two children experienced clinical benefits from prophylactic antibiotic administration.
Implications:
- Children presenting with neutropenia or low neutrophil counts during bacterial infections warrant evaluation for autoimmune neutropenia.
- Prophylactic measures, such as antibiotics, may be beneficial in managing recurrent infections associated with AIN.
Abstract:
Case reports of three children with autoimmune neutropenia are presented. The children had a number of infections, which required antibiotic treatment, mostly respiratory tract infections, but one child had a septic coxitis. During a follow-up period of 1-3 years, only one patient showed complete remission after 15 months of neutropenia. One child was treated with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor without effect, whereas two children received prophylactic antibiotics with clinical benefit. In view of the frequent infections and benefit of prophylactic measures, children with neutropenia or an inappropriately low neutrophil count during bacterial infections should be evaluated for autoimmune neutropenia.
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