Clinical utility of sample preheat treatment in a modified Nijmegen-Bethesda assay (mNBA) for inhibitor monitoring in congenital and acquired haemophilia A: A single-centre four-year experience.

Introduction: Laboratory monitoring for factor VIII inhibitors ideally requires samples with the lowest possible factor VIII (FVIII) level, potentially challenging in patients with congenital haemophilia A (CHA) receiving regular prophylaxis and acquired haemophilia A (AHA) patients with endogenous FVIII. Inactivation of FVIII by preheating (preheat treatment, PHT) of patient plasma has been suggested to facilitate monitoring.

Aim: To evaluate the clinical utility of PHT prior to inhibitor analysis by modified Nijmegen-Bethesda assay (mNBA) in patients with CHA and AHA.

Methods: Inhibitor screening by mNBA under standard conditions and with PHT at 56°C for 30, 60 and 90 minutes was evaluated. FVIII inhibitor results between 2007 and 2010 without PHT (720 results from 222 CHA and AHA patients), and between 2011 and 2014 post-PHT (1102 results from 302 patients) were available for analysis.

Results: Of total 1822 results available, 61% were from severe HA patients, 22% from mild and moderate HA and 16% from AHA. Pre-PHT, 74% of samples were analysed by the mNBA, and the remaining 26% were not tested as FVIII levels were >20 IU/dL as per local protocol. Postintroduction of PHT (90 and 60 minutes), 96% of samples received were analysed for an inhibitor. Post-PHT in patients with AHA (n = 26), 69% of samples tested with factor VIII levels >20 IU/dL were found to have detectable inhibitor.

Conclusion: FVIII inhibitor testing using PHT at 56°C for 60 minutes facilitates inhibitor surveillance of CHA on prophylaxis. Potentially, 30 minutes at 56°C might be equally efficacious. In AHA receiving immunosuppression, monitoring of inhibitor titre after initial factor VIII response might enable personalized immunosuppression.