AUTOIMMUNE HEMOLYSIS AND RED-CELL AUTOANTIBODIES WITH ABO BLOOD-GROUPSPECIFICITY

In order to study red cell autoantibodies with ABO specificity, the re cords of 4668 patients seen over 32 years were examined. Five group A patients had high thermal amplitude cold agglutinins showing anti-A, - A(1) or -AI specificity; none had ever received blood or blood product s. They presented as chronic cold haemagglutinin disease, autoimmune h aemolytic anaemia or were discovered during investigation of pregnancy , carcinomatosis or anaemia. In vivo haemolysis was evident in all but the antenatal case. only the patient with autoimmune haemolytic anaem ia required treatment, responding well to steroids. ABO-specific autoa ntibodies thus appear similar in reactions and clinical manifestations to autoantibodies in general.