Abstract

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.