COLD AGGLUTININS IN RHESUS MACAQUES INFECTED WITH SIMIAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (SIV)

Cold agglutinins are uncommon autoimmune phenomena associated with myc oplasma pneumonia, viral infections, lymphoproliferative neoplasia and recently, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in human beings. Six rhesus macaques infected with pathogenic isolates of simian immuno deficiency virus (SIV) developed cold agglutinins late in the course o f viral infection in association with hyperproteinaemia, hyperglobulin aemia and thrombocytopenia. Cold agglutinin titres ranged from 1:1024 to 1:8192. The development of cold agglutinins in SIV-infected rhesus macaques may be another manifestation of immune dysfunction in this no n-human primate model of AIDS.