title: Autoimmune hemolytic anemia. 3. Cold antibody type.
abstract: In cold autoimmune hemolytic anemia, the causative autoantibodies (cold agglutinins) are most reactive at low temperatures. The anti-I type of cold agglutinin is found in cold hemagglutination disease and in hemolytic anemia secondary to malignant lymphoma, leukemia, or atypical pneumonia. The anti-I type of cold agglutinin is found in many patients with infectious mononucleosis and in an occasional patient with other lymphoproliferative disorders. Paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria, a disorder in which exposure to cold temperatures triggers massive hemolysis, is characterized by a unique biphasic cold autoantibody called the Donath-Landsteiner antibody. By way of summary and review of this and the two previous articles in this series, table 4 presents a practical approach to diagnosis of the autoimmune hemolytic anemias.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D000373:Agglutinins; D000744:Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005260:Female; D006457:Hemoglobinuria, Paroxysmal / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007048:I Blood-Group System; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000276:immunology; D007938:Leukemia / Q000276:immunology; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000276:immunology; D011019:Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000373:Agglutinins; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007048:I Blood-Group System; D007075:Immunoglobulin M