Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a life-threatening, often immune-mediated disease that affects 2-13 persons per million per year. Hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and end-organ damage due to the formation of microthrombi are characteristic of TTP. ADAMTS13 is a disintegrin, metalloproteinase, cleaving protein of von Willebrand factor (VWF) that processes the VWF multimers to prevent them from interacting with platelets and, in turn, to microvascular thrombosis. Prompt diagnosis of TTP is critical yet challenging. Thrombotic microangiopathies have similar clinical presentation. Measurement of ADAMTS13 activity helps in the differential diagnosis. Less than 10% ADAMTS13 activity is indicative of TTP. Laboratory ADAMTS13 activity assays include incubating the test plasma with the substrate (full-length VWM multimers) and detection with direct or indirect measurement of the cleavage product. The purpose of this study is to examine the diagnostic potential, advantages, and weaknesses of the ADAMTS13 potency in TTP.

Atypical haemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a rare disorder characterised by complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). Despite clinical guidelines, the diagnosis and treatment of aHUS in its early stages remains challenging. This study examined the annual trends in aHUS clinical practices in Japan and explored factors influencing early diagnosis and treatment. Using data from the 2011-2020 Diagnosis Procedure Combination database, 3096 cases with the HUS disease code were identified, of which 217 were confirmed as aHUS and treated with eculizumab or plasma exchange. Early initiation, defined as starting eculizumab or plasma exchange within 7 days of admission, was the focus of the study. Our study revealed no significant changes over time in the number of aHUS diagnoses, cases treated with eculizumab, or early initiation cases. Early initiation cases underwent haemodialysis earlier and had ADAMTS13 activity measured earlier, shorter hospital stays, and lower hospitalisation costs than late initiation cases. In conclusion, we found no increase in the number of newly diagnosed aHUS cases or early treatment initiation over time. Early recognition of TMA and differentiation of the causative disease are crucial for identifying potential aHUS cases, which may lead to better patient prognoses.

Lupus nephritis (LN) is one of the most common organ-specific manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Various clinical signs of LN develop in at least 50% of patients with SLE. In addition to LN, the spectrum of renal lesions associated with SLE also includes vascular pathology. One of the variants of renal microvascular injury is thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), the mechanisms of which are diverse. The review focuses on the main forms of TMA, including antiphospholipid syndrome and nephropathy associated with antiphospholipid syndrome, TMA caused by complement system regulation disorders and deficiency of ADAMTS13. In most cases, these forms of TMA are combined with LN. However, they may also exist as a single form of kidney damage. This article discusses the TMA pathogenesis, the impact on kidney prognosis, and treatment options.
Волчаночный нефрит (ВН) является одним из наиболее частых среди органных проявлений системной красной волчанки (СКВ). Его различные клинические признаки развиваются не менее чем у 50% больных СКВ. Помимо ВН в спектр ассоциированных с СКВ вариантов поражения почек входит и сосудистая патология. Одним из вариантов поражения микроциркуляторного русла почек является тромботическая микроангиопатия (ТМА), механизмы развития которой разнообразны. Обзор посвящен основным формам ТМА, включая антифосфолипидный синдром и нефропатию, ассоциированную с антифосфолипидным синдромом, ТМА, обусловленную нарушениями регуляции системы комплемента и дефицитом ADAMTS13. В большинстве случаев эти формы ТМА сочетаются с ВН, однако могут существовать и как единственные варианты поражения почек. Обсуждаются вопросы патогенеза, влияние ТМА на почечный прогноз и подходы к лечению.

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OBJECTIVE: Severe thrombotic antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) frequently affects the kidney, heart, and central nervous system. The precise frequency, clinical picture, differential diagnoses, and outcome of APS-related hematological involvement are lacking, especially in patients requiring ICU admission. This study aimed to describe the hematological manifestations associated with critically ill thrombotic APS patients and catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome.
METHODS: This French, national, multicenter, retrospective study, conducted, from January 2000 to September 2018, included all APS patients admitted to 24 participating centers\' ICUs with any new thrombotic manifestation. The prevalence of hematological manifestations and their associated outcomes were studied.
RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-four patients, female 72%, median [IQR] age 45 [34-56] years, with 152 episodes were included. Anemia was present in 95% of episodes and thrombocytopenia in 93%. The lowest values for hemoglobin and platelets were 7.1 [6.3-8.8] g/dL and 38 [21-60] g/L, respectively. The lowest platelet count below 20 g/L was significantly associated with a higher in-ICU mortality rate (50%, p < 0.0001). A thrombotic microangiopathy syndrome (TMA) syndrome was seen in 16 patients (12%) and was associated with higher in-hospital mortality (p = 0.05). Median ADAMTS-13 levels were 44% [27-74]. Anti-ADAMTS13 antibodies were tested in 11 patients and found negative in all. A suspicion of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) was raised in 66 patients but only four patients were classified as definite HIT. Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) was seen in 51% of patients.
CONCLUSIONS: Thrombocytopenia is very frequent in severe APS patients and may be related to TMA, HIT, or DIC. Deciphering the mechanisms of thrombocytopenia is decisive in CAPS patients. Key Points • Thrombocytopenia is the hallmark laboratory finding in CAPS. • A complete thrombotic microangiopathy pattern is infrequent in CAPS patients. • Alternate diagnoses of CAPS, especially heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, need to be adequately investigated.

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Allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) can potentially cure malignant blood disorders and benign conditions such as haemoglobinopathies and immunologic diseases. However, allo-HSCT is associated with significant complications. The most common and debilitating among them is graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). In GVHD, donor-derived T cells mount an alloimmune response against the recipient. The alloimmune response involves several steps, including recognition of recipient antigens, activation and proliferation of T cells in secondary lymphoid organs, and homing into GVHD-targeted organs. Adhesion molecules on T cells and endothelial cells mediate homing of T cells into lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues. In this study, we showed that Von Willebrand factor (VWF), an adhesion molecule secreted by activated endothelial cells, plays an important role in mouse models of GVHD. We investigated the effect of the VWF-cleaving protease ADAMTS13 on GVHD. We found that ADAMTS13 reduced the severity of GVHD after bone marrow transplantation from C57BL6 donor to BALB/C recipient mice. A recombinant VWF-A2 domain peptide also reduced GVHD in mice. We showed that ADAMTS13 and recombinant VWF-A2 reduced the binding of T cells to endothelial cells and VWF in vitro, and reduced the number of T cells in lymph nodes, Peyer\'s patches and GVHD-targeted organs in vivo. We identified LFA-1 (αLβ2) as the binding site of VWF on T cells. Our results showed that blocking T-cell homing by ADAMTS13 or VWF-A2 peptide reduced the severity of the GVHD after allo-HSCT, a potentially novel method for treating and preventing GVHD.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a fatal thrombotic disease caused by a marked decrease in the activity of ADAMTS13, a von Willebrand factor cleaving protease. In congenital TTP, ADAMTS13 activity is decreased by an abnormality in ADAMTS13, and in acquired TTP, by anti-ADAMTS13 autoantibody. Death from thrombosis in the acute phase has been an issue with conventional treatment of acquired TTP by plasma exchange or immunosuppressive therapy. However, the advent of caplacizumab, an anti-VWF nanobody, has made it possible to suppress thrombus formation and is expected to improve survival rates. In addition, some case series have shown the efficacy of caplacizumab without plasma exchange for acquired TTP, and this approach is being investigated in clinical trials. Fresh-frozen plasma is transfused to supply ADAMTS13 for congenital TTP, but frequent transfusions over a long period of time can lead to problems such as infection and allergic reactions. Novel therapies such as recombinant ADAMTS13 products and gene therapy are now under development, and show promise for future clinical use.