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Cold agglutinin disease
Other Names for this Disease
- Anemia, hemolytic, cold antibody
- CAD
- Cold antibody disease
- Cold antibody hemolytic anemia
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Overview
Cold agglutinin disease is a rare form of autoimmune hemolytic anemia. In this condition, the immune system makes antibodies that attack red blood cells in the body, which causes the blood cells to die prematurely (hemolysis). Cold agglutinin disease gets its name from the "cold reacting" antibodies that react best (i.e. destroy red blood cells, causing anemia) at temperatures below 37º Celsius. This condition can be divided into primary or secondary forms. The cause of the primary form is unknown; the secondary form can be caused by infections, other autoimmune diseases, or certain cancers.[1][2]
References
- Harper JL. Pediatric Cold agglutinin disease. eMedicine. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/954954-overview. Accessed January 20, 2012.
- Georgy S. Cold agglutinin disease. eMedicine. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/135327-overview. Accessed January 20, 2012.
Your Questions Answered
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General Information
- Medscape Reference has two articles on this topic from the perspective of Pediatrics and Hematology. You may need to register to view the information online, but registration is free.
- The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library provides information on this condition. Click on the link to view the information.
- MeSH® (Medical Subject Headings) is a terminology tool used by the National Library of Medicine. Click on the link to view information on this topic.
- The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is a federation of more than 130 nonprofit voluntary health organizations serving people with rare disorders. Click on the link to view information on this topic.
- Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge. Click on the link to read information on this topic.
- PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Cold agglutinin disease. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.