Alemtuzumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody used as a disease-modifying treatment in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), frequently causes autoimmunity as its principal adverse effect. We describe a typical case of a young man treated with two courses of alemtuzumab presenting 18 months later with initial hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease (GD) followed by persistent hypothyroidism. We discuss the pathophysiological role of stimulating and blocking thyrotropin receptor antibodies in the development of alemtuzumab-induced autoimmune thyroid dysfunction and clinical challenges posed by spontaneous, bidirectional switching between hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. Guidelines recommend monitoring thyroid function pre-treatment and every three months for four years following alemtuzumab treatment. Patient education is crucial for maintaining adherence to monitoring programs.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.7759/cureus.22751 | DOI Listing |
J Neuroinflammation
November 2024
School of Medicine and Dentistry, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia.
Background: Secondary autoimmune disease (SAID) in the context of alemtuzumab treatment is one of the main safety concerns that may arise following administration in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Contributing factors underlying this adverse event are not well understood. The purpose of this systematic review was to appraise the literature investigating the role of alemtuzumab in the development of SAID in pwMS following treatment and identify potential biomarkers/ risk factors that may be predictive of onset of this manifestation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMult Scler Relat Disord
November 2024
Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Objectives: Alemtuzumab, a monoclonal antibody against the cluster of differentiation 52 (CD52) molecule, is used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). A side effect of the treatment is development of secondary autoimmune thyroid disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the rate, type and course of thyroid disease in Danish patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with alemtuzumab.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur Thyroid J
April 2024
Endocrinology Unit, Graves' Orbitopathy Center, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
Introduction: Secondary thyroid autoimmunity, especially Graves' disease (GD), frequently develops in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) following alemtuzumab treatment (ALTZ; anti-CD52). Thyroid eye disease (TED) can also develop, and rituximab (RTX; anti-CD20) is a suitable treatment.
Case Presentation: A 37-year-old woman with MS developed steroid-resistant active moderate-to-severe TED 3 years after ALTZ, that successfully responded to a single 500 mg dose of i.
Br J Haematol
April 2024
Department of Neurology, Hopital Bicêtre, APHP, Université Paris Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
Immune-mediated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP) is a rare and life-threatening disease that may result from drug exposure. We report a case of iTTP occurring in a 39-year-old patient, 45 months following introduction of the anti-CD52 lymphoid cell depleting monoclonal antibody alemtuzumab, to treat a relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Treatment consisted in plasma exchange, corticosteroids and caplacizumab, allowing clinical remission 3 months after the diagnosis, attested by the absence of thrombocytopenia and recovery of ADAMTS-13 activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Immunol
September 2023
Danish Multiple Sclerosis Center, Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Glostrup, Denmark.
Alemtuzumab is a monoclonal antibody targeting CD52 on the surface of immune cells, approved for the treatment of active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The purpose of this study was to analyze the repopulation of peripheral lymphocytes following alemtuzumab-induced lymphocyte depletion and investigate associations with disease activity and development of secondary autoimmunity. For this, blood samples were collected two years after initiation of alemtuzumab treatment and lymphocytes were subjected to a comprehensive flow cytometry analysis.
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