Cold agglutinins in haemophiliac boys infected with HIV

Eleven haemophiliac boys infected with HIV were screened for irregular red cell antibodies and were compared with nine haemophiliac boys who did not have antibodies to HIV. Seven (64%) of the children who had antibodies to HIV also had cold agglutinins, mostly of anti-I specificity, compared with one (11%) of those who did not have antibodies to HIV. The children with antibodies to HIV and cold agglutinins had a significantly increased mean IgM concentration. The presence of cold agglutinins was not correlated with T4 lymphocyte count, symptoms of HIV infection, serum beta 2 microglobulin concentrations, concentrations of IgG or IgA, or with the evidence of past infection with cytomegalovirus or Epstein-Barr virus.