Photo Credit: Polesnoy

The presence of a paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) clone is strongly indicative of aplastic anemia (AA) and can help rule out inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFS), according to results published in Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma & Leukemia. Courtney D. DiNardo, MD, MSCE, and colleagues examined 144 patients with a diagnosis of AA (n=79) or IBMFS (n=65); 85 had PNH testing results. Patients with AA were much more likely to have PNH clones compared with patients with IBMFS (69% vs 5%; P<0.0001). No patients with IBMFS had a PNH clone larger than 0.1%. The findings indicate that “while the absence of a PNH clone does not rule out AA, the identification of a PNH clone is strongly suggestive of AA and can help rule out an IBMFS, allowing a more rapid initiation of treatment and transplant decision making,” Dr. DiNardo and colleagues wrote.