Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Clinical Pathology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Pathology
. 1991 Apr;44(4):297–299. doi: 10.1136/jcp.44.4.297

Influenza A and the virus associated haemophagocytic syndrome: cluster of three cases in children with acute leukaemia.

M N Potter 1, A B Foot 1, A Oakhill 1
PMCID: PMC496902  PMID: 2030147

Abstract

At the height of the United Kingdom influenza A epidemic in December 1989, three children receiving treatment for non-T cell acute leukaemia developed pancytopenia with concomitant influenza A infection. Bone marrow histology showed prominent marrow erythrophagocytosis by morphologically mature histiocytes, consistent with the picture of virus associated haemophagocytic syndrome (VAHS). In two cases there was an initial spontaneous recovery, though recurrence of VAHS developed in one case in association with a different viral infection (cytomegalovirus) following autologous bone marrow transplantation. The third child died from cardiorespiratory failure secondary to infection with influenza A and Klebsiella pneumoniae sepsis. It is suggested that influenza A should be added to the list of infective causative agents.

Full text

PDF

Images in this article

297Image
on p.297

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BOAKE W. C., CARD W. H., KIMMEY J. F. HISTIOCYTIC MEDULLARY RETICULOSIS; CONCURRENCE IN FATHER AND SON. Arch Intern Med. 1965 Aug;116:245–252. doi: 10.1001/archinte.1965.03870020085016. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Baer M. R., Gleaton J. H., Salhany K. E., Glick A. D. Malignant histiocytosis occurring with acute myelogenous leukemia in a patient with longstanding polycythemia vera. Cancer. 1987 Feb 1;59(3):489–495. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19870201)59:3<489::aid-cncr2820590323>3.0.co;2-v. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Baer M. R., Krantz S. B., Cousar J. B., Glick A. D., Collins R. D. Malignant histiocytoses developing in patients with B-cell lymphomas. Report of two cases. Cancer. 1986 Jun 1;57(11):2175–2184. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19860601)57:11<2175::aid-cncr2820571116>3.0.co;2-r. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Broxmeyer H. E., Williams D. E., Lu L., Cooper S., Anderson S. L., Beyer G. S., Hoffman R., Rubin B. Y. The suppressive influences of human tumor necrosis factors on bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor cells from normal donors and patients with leukemia: synergism of tumor necrosis factor and interferon-gamma. J Immunol. 1986 Jun 15;136(12):4487–4495. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Falini B., Pileri S., De Solas I., Martelli M. F., Mason D. Y., Delsol G., Gatter K. C., Fagioli M. Peripheral T-cell lymphoma associated with hemophagocytic syndrome. Blood. 1990 Jan 15;75(2):434–444. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Griffin J. D., Ellman L., Long J. C., Dvorak A. M. Development of a histiocytic medullary reticulosis-like syndrome during the course of acute lymphocytic leukemia. Am J Med. 1978 May;64(5):851–858. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(78)90527-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Histiocytosis syndromes in children. Writing Group of the Histiocyte Society. Lancet. 1987 Jan 24;1(8526):208–209. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Jaffe E. S., Costa J., Fauci A. S., Cossman J., Tsokos M. Malignant lymphoma and erythrophagocytosis simulating malignant histiocytosis. Am J Med. 1983 Nov;75(5):741–749. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(83)90402-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Karcher D. S., Head D. R., Mullins J. D. Malignant histiocytosis occurring in patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia. Cancer. 1978 May;41(5):1967–1973. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197805)41:5<1967::aid-cncr2820410542>3.0.co;2-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Komp D. M., McNamara J., Buckley P. Elevated soluble interleukin-2 receptor in childhood hemophagocytic histiocytic syndromes. Blood. 1989 Jun;73(8):2128–2132. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Mamus S. W., Beck-Schroeder S., Zanjani E. D. Suppression of normal human erythropoiesis by gamma interferon in vitro. Role of monocytes and T lymphocytes. J Clin Invest. 1985 May;75(5):1496–1503. doi: 10.1172/JCI111853. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Martelli M. F., Tabilio A., Aversa F., Falini B., Rocchi G. Is histiocytic reticulosis an infectious disease? Lancet. 1982 Aug 21;2(8295):446–447. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(82)90479-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Morgan R., Hecht B. K., Sandberg A. A., Hecht F., Smith S. D. Chromosome 5q35 breakpoint in malignant histiocytosis. N Engl J Med. 1986 May 15;314(20):1322–1322. doi: 10.1056/nejm198605153142016. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Morgan R., Smith S. D., Hecht B. K., Christy V., Mellentin J. D., Warnke R., Cleary M. L. Lack of involvement of the c-fms and N-myc genes by chromosomal translocation t(2;5)(p23;q35) common to malignancies with features of so-called malignant histiocytosis. Blood. 1989 Jun;73(8):2155–2164. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Reiner A. P., Spivak J. L. Hematophagic histiocytosis. A report of 23 new patients and a review of the literature. Medicine (Baltimore) 1988 Nov;67(6):369–388. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Risdall R. J., McKenna R. W., Nesbit M. E., Krivit W., Balfour H. H., Jr, Simmons R. L., Brunning R. D. Virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome: a benign histiocytic proliferation distinct from malignant histiocytosis. Cancer. 1979 Sep;44(3):993–1002. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197909)44:3<993::aid-cncr2820440329>3.0.co;2-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Rosner F., Grünwald H. W. Association of T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and histiocytic medullary reticulosis. Am J Med. 1984 Nov;77(5):910–914. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(84)90541-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Rubin M., Rothenberg S. P., Panchacharam P. A histiocytic medullary reticulosis-like syndrome as the terminal event in lymphocytic lymphoma. Am J Med Sci. 1984 Jan-Feb;287(1):60–62. doi: 10.1097/00000441-198401000-00019. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Schooley J. C., Kullgren B., Allison A. C. Inhibition by interleukin-1 of the action of erythropoietin on erythroid precursors and its possible role in the pathogenesis of hypoplastic anaemias. Br J Haematol. 1987 Sep;67(1):11–17. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1987.tb02289.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Skoog D. P., Feagler J. R. T cell acute lymphocytic leukemia terminating as malignant histiocytosis. Am J Med. 1978 Apr;64(4):678–682. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(78)90590-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Spivak J. L., Bender B. S., Quinn T. C. Hematologic abnormalities in the acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Am J Med. 1984 Aug;77(2):224–228. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(84)90695-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Starkie C. M., Kenny M. W., Mann J. R., Cameron A. H., Hill F. G. Histiocytic medullary reticulosis following acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cancer. 1981 Feb 1;47(3):537–544. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19810201)47:3<537::aid-cncr2820470319>3.0.co;2-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Sullivan J. L., Woda B. A., Herrod H. G., Koh G., Rivara F. P., Mulder C. Epstein-Barr virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome: virological and immunopathological studies. Blood. 1985 May;65(5):1097–1104. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Theodorakis M. E., Zamkoff K. W., Davey F. R., Ginsberg S. J., Cass D. L., Gottlieb A. J. Acute nonlymphocytic leukemia complicated by severe cytophagocytosis of formed blood elements by nonmalignant histiocytes: cause of significant clinical morbidity. Med Pediatr Oncol. 1983;11(1):20–26. doi: 10.1002/mpo.2950110105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Yin J. A., Kumaran T. O., Marsh G. W., Rossiter M., Catovsky D. Complete recovery of histiocytic medullary reticulosis-like syndrome in a child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cancer. 1983 Jan 15;51(2):200–202. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19830115)51:2<200::aid-cncr2820510204>3.0.co;2-c. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Pathology are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES