Anti-complement treatment in atypical and typical hemolytic uremic syndrome

The dissection of the pathogenic mechanisms of the various forms of the haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) has paved the way for the design of specific efficacious treatments. Such mechanistic approach led to a revolution in the management of atypical HUS with the use of the first-in class C5 blocker, eculizumab. The availability of this anti-complement drug has also raised unsettled questions regarding the cost/burden and optimal duration of therapy and its use in secondary HUS. The efficacy of eculizumab in Shiga toxin producing E coli-associated-HUS is not to date established and the results of ongoing prospective studies are eagerly awaited.
Source: Seminars in Hematology - Category: Hematology Authors: Source Type: research