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Red cell autoantibodies in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome
Author(s) -
McGinniss M. H.,
Macher A. M.,
Rook A. H.,
Alter H. J.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
transfusion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.045
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1537-2995
pISSN - 0041-1132
DOI - 10.1046/j.1537-2995.1986.26587020112.x
Subject(s) - medicine , asymptomatic , immunology , autoantibody , anemia , antibody , neutropenia , immunopathology , gastroenterology , chemotherapy
Mild‐to‐profound anemia, thrombocytopenia, and rarely neutropenia have been observed in patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). To investigate a possible immune mechanism, blood samples from 28 hospitalized AIDS patients, four asymptomatic homosexual men, four homosexual men with the AIDS‐related lymphadenopathy syndrome, 30 hospitalized patients with diseases other than AIDS, and 60 blood donors were tested for the presence of atypical red cell antibodies. Eighteen AIDS patients (64%) had anti‐i, nine (32%) had autoanti‐U, and 12 (43%) had a positive direct antiglobulin test. One asymptomatic homosexual man and three homosexual men with lymphadenopathy also had anti‐i. In contrast, of the 30 patients with diseases other than AIDS and 60 donors, none had anti‐U or a positive direct antiglobulin test. One patient with sickle cell disease had anti‐i. The mean hemoglobin level of AIDS patients with anti‐i or anti‐U was significantly lower than the mean hemoglobin level of patients who did not have those antibodies.