Lupus anticoagulant-hypoprothrombinemia syndrome in children: Three case reports and systematic review of the literature

Objective Children with lupus anticoagulant hypoprothrombinemia syndrome (LAHPS) are characterized by prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and prothrombin time (PT), lupus anticoagulant positivity and low prothrombin (factor II, FII) levels. Bleeding or thrombosis tendencies related to LAHPS in children can occur due to the development of anti-prothrombin antibodies that are usually linked to autoimmune or infectious diseases. Methods We report three pediatric cases of LAHPS and describe details on their clinical symptoms, laboratory characteristics, treatment. PubMed, Medline, and Web of Science searches were conducted on LAHPS in children between 1960 and 2023; articles in English were included. Results The coagulation profile revealed prolonged PT and APTT, with low prothrombin levels (19.4%, 21.0% and 12.9%, respectively) and positive lupus anticoagulant in 3 pediatric cases. Fifty-nine relevant articles reported 93 pediatric LAHPS cases (mean age: 9 years (0.8–17 years)); 63 females and 30 males, 87 patients presented with minor to severe bleeding diathesis, and 3 patients presented with thrombosis events. Among 48 patients ≥9 years old, 36 had SLE; among 45 patients <9 years, 29 had viral infection. When all patients were divided into two groups based on age, associated disease, and factor II level, Pearson’s χ2 tests were performed, p =.00, and there was clinical significance between autoimmune and infectious disease in patients ≥9 years old and <9 years old, and in patients FII level ≤10% and >10%. LAHPS patients with autoimmune disease had a protracted course and needed prolonged treatment with immune-modulating therapy, while those patients with infectious disease resolved spontaneously or needed short-term immune-modulating therapy. Conclusion LAHPS caused by autoimmune disease are common in patients ≥9 years old, especially SLE, and FII level ≤10% is often reported in patients caused by autoimmune disease, suggesting that children ≥9 years old diagnosed with LAHPS-related autoimmune disease should pay special attention to the FII level. While LAHPS caused by infectious disease is more frequently observed in patients <9 years, especially viral infection. Early diagnostic investigations are critical to differentiating LAHPS caused by autoimmune or infectious disease, as the prognosis, treatment and outcome are distinct.