What causes Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia?

In some cases of autoimmune hemolysis, medications may attach to red cells, leading to targeting for destruction by the immune system. The most common are penicillin and its relatives, cephalosporins, quinidine, and some anti-inflammatory drugs.

In most cases, however, abnormal immune function leads the body to attack normal red blood cells. Causes of the underlying abnormal immune function include:

• Drugs
  • Alpha-methyldopa
  • L-dopa
• Infections
  • Viral infections (including mononucleosis )
  • Mycoplasma pneumonia
• Cancers
  • Leukemia
  • Lymphoma ( Non-Hodgkin’s but also occasionally Hodgkin’s )
• Collagen-vascular (autoimmune) diseases (eg, lupus )