FIGURE 1:

Haematological parameters of patients with O104:H4 E. coli HUS at the onset of diarrhoea, diagnosis of STEC-HUS and after initiation of eculizumab treatment. Day 0 = first dose of eculizumab. Data are expressed as median and range. The median interval between diarrhoea and onset of STEC-HUS was 6 (range 3–12) days. (a) Platelet count reached a nadir at diagnosis of STEC-HUS, and increased rapidly and significantly by Day 3 of eculizumab treatment (P = 0.02, Wilcoxon's test). (b) Haemoglobin levels continued to fall after diagnosis of STEC-HUS until Day 7 of eculizumab treatment, and increased significantly after 42 days of treatment (P < 0.05). (c) LDH levels were highest at diagnosis of STEC-HUS, and decreased rapidly and significantly by Day 4 of eculizumab treatment (P < 0.02). Upper limit of normal was 248 IU/L in our hospitallaboratory.