[Immune hemolytic anemias (autoimmune, drug-induced)]

The serological investigation of immunohaemolytic anaemias is based on the direct antiglobulin test, on the study of the serum and on the eluate, thus allowing a classification, which is still valid and correlates well with the clinical features. The use of more sensitive techniques and of reagents made from monoclonal antibodies should improve the study of these anaemias, but emphasizes the issue of the limits between physiological and pathological states. The addition of new therapeutical approaches should improve their prognosis. The increasing consumption of drugs and the development of the investigations of the adverse reactions including the haemolytic anaemias have allowed the emergence of new pathogenic concepts. The severity of the course of some of these immune haemolytic anaemia stresses the importance of an adequate therapeutic survey and the development of new means of diagnostic. The clinicians should be aware of the possibility of cross reactivity for drug dependent antibodies with other components of related chimical structure.