OBJECTIVES: The mechanism of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is the production of antibodies by the body against its own red blood cells. In most cases, the cause of AIHA cannot be determined (idiopathic autoimmune hemolytic anemia), and it’s frequently associated with other diseases, or caused by certain substances get into the human body.

METHODS: We investigated 50 people who were diagnosed and treated with AIHA at Teaching Hospital Mór Kaposi, Kaposvár, Hungary between 2007 and 2014. We investigated their age, sex, haemoglobin concentration, haematocrit value, and red blood count. We examined their treatments and their basic diagnosed diseases that may play a role in their AIHA.

RESULTS: 40 patients (80%) from the 50 had basic diseases. In most cases the other diseases were leukemia, lymphoma, other autoimmune disease, infection, myelodysplastic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. In most cases, transfusion and steroid treatment were used. Their mean red blood cell count was 3.18 T/L and it increased significantly (p<0.05) to 3.88 T/L with treatment. Their mean haemoglobin concentration was 103,83 g/L, and with treatment this concentration increased significantly (p<0.05) to 122.9 g/L. Their haematocrit value was 30.50 and increased also significantly (p<0.05) to 36.33 during treatment.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that patients diagnosed with autoimmune hemolytic anemia have a high probability of having other basic diseases. AIHA is often associated with malignant diseases, other autoimmune diseases and infections. Knowing this, the diagnostic process can be faster, and the treatment and therapy of the basic disease can be started as soon as possible. There were rapid changes in patient’s laboratory parameters in respond to transfusion and steroid treatment. Our results showing similarities to the literature in terms of the nature of the basic diseases, their frequency and the type of therapy.