Persistent Cold Agglutinins in AIDS and Related Disorders

Abstract

Eighty-one homosexual patients positive for HTLV-III antibody, including 19 with AIDS, 20 with chronic lymphadenopathy syndrome, 10 with AIDS-related complex (ARC) and 32 symptom-free individuals were assessed for the presence of cold agglutinins (CA). In 12 cases, CA were found; 4, 4, 2 and 2, respectively, in each of the above mentioned groups. Seven anti-I,4 anti-i and 1 anti-Gd CA were identified. In 11 of 12 patients, CA were persistent. There were no differences between CA-negative and CA-positive patients with regard to the presence of other antibodies, anemia, frequency of intercurrent infections or development of lymphoproliferative neoplasia. It can be concluded that persistent synthesis of CA may be associated with the HTLV-III infection.

Cold Agglutinins in Parenteral Drug-Addicts Positive for HIV Antibody

“…We have found CA in 12.5% of the patients and therefore agree with the opinion of Pruzanski et al [1] that the presence of CA should be added to the list of humoral abnormalities encountered in patients with HIV infections.…”

“…Our results in a population of parenteral drug ad dicts positive for HIV antibody were similar to those reported by Pruzanski et al [1] in homosexual pa tients. We have found CA in 12.5% of the patients and therefore agree with the opinion of Pruzanski et al [1] that the presence of CA should be added to the list of humoral abnormalities encountered in patients with HIV infections.…”

“…We have read with interest the article of Pruzanski et al [1] about the presence of cold agglutinins (CA) in homosexual patients positive for HIV antibody. We would like to report our results on the presence of CA in a population of parenteral drug addicts.…”

Three-Dimensional Structure of the Fab from a Human IgM Cold Agglutinin

“…The rat mAb 9G4 (11) served to identify the cross-reacting idiotope associated with the expression of a particular variable domain of the heavy chain (V H ) region. Amino acid and nucleotide sequence analyses have confirmed this V H as derived from the V H 4-34 (V H [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] germline gene (12,13). The presence of a V H chain derived from V H 4-34 is necessary both for the CA property and for the idiotope that is recognized by 9G4 mAb.…”

“…CAs appear in the context of monoclonal gammopathies secondary to B cell dyscrasias ranging from benign to malignant lymphoproliferation (3)(4)(5). They can also be detected in normal patients at low titers (6), though these titers increase with different infectious processes (7)(8)(9).…”