Cold agglutinin disease following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

T Tamura1, H Kanamori, E Yamazaki

  • 1First Department of Internal Medicine, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Japan.

We describe a case of cold agglutinin disease (CAD) following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. This 36-year-old male developed CAD 3 weeks after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for chronic myelogenous leukemia. Cyclosporin A and methotrexate had been administered to prevent graft-versus-host disease. Other agents administered included cytomegalovirus hyperimmune globulin and recombinant human G-CSF. Pericarditis preceded the development of CAD. The characterization of cold agglutinin (CA) was monoclonal IgM-kappa with anti-Pr antigen specificity, probably derived from the engrafted donor lymphocytes. The administration of prednisolone led to transient improvement. The CA titer decreased without further treatment 12 weeks after transplant.

Related Concept Videos

Bone Marrow Sampling and Transplants01:22

Bone Marrow Sampling and Transplants

Bone marrow transplant is a potential cure for several diseases, including cancer and specific genetic disorders. Notably, this procedure is applicable for patients suffering from aplastic anemia, certain types of leukemia, severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID), Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma, thalassemia, sickle-cell disease, and certain cancers.
The transplant begins with high doses of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, which aim to destroy the...
Blood Transfusion and Agglutination02:45

Blood Transfusion and Agglutination

Blood transfusion is a therapeutic measure to restore the blood volume after extensive blood loss due to an accident or a medical procedure. Blood transfusion involves drawing a certain amount of blood from a suitable donor and infusing it into the recipient.
History
The history of blood transfusion dates back to the 17th century, when early attempts were made in animals. In 1818 James Blundell, a British doctor, performed the first successful human blood transfusion. Later in 1900, Karl...
Blood Transfusion01:15

Blood Transfusion

Blood transfusion is a critical medical procedure that saves lives and treats various medical conditions. It involves transferring blood from a donor to a recipient. This process requires a thorough understanding of the ABO blood group system and its associated antigens and antibodies.
Blood Transfusion Overview
A blood transfusion is a medical procedure used to replace blood lost due to injury, surgery, or to treat conditions such as anemia or cancer. During a transfusion, donor blood is...
Cell-mediated Immune Responses01:40

Cell-mediated Immune Responses

Overview
Blood Typing01:10

Blood Typing

Understanding an individual's blood group is a critical component of transfusion medicine. It ensures compatibility in blood transfusions, organ transplants, and even during pregnancy. Determining these blood groups involves the ABO and Rh blood typing systems, utilizing specific antigens and corresponding anti-sera to identify an individual's blood type.
Antigens are protein molecules that reside on the surface of red blood cells (RBCs). The ABO and Rh blood typing systems target antigens A,...