Case report: circulating anticoagulant, autoimmune hemolytic anemia and malignant lymphoma

A circulating anticoagulant of the type often seen in systemic lupus erythematosus, an autoagglutinin and a Coombs-reactive autoantibody were identified in a patient who had the subsequent diagnosis of poorly differentiated diffuse lymphocytic lymphoma. Evidence indicated that the red cell autoantibodies did not possess anticoagulant properties. The red cell autoantibodies as well as the anticoagulant disappeared following corticosteroid therapy. It is probable that the anticoagulant is a manifestation of autoimmunity. The coexistent autoimmune and lymphoproliferative abnormalities in this patient resemble certain animal models in which evidence exists for a viral etiology of the autoimmune and lymphoproliferative disorders.