No abstract

Several recent reports [l, 2, 3, 41 have dealt with the very high incidence of cold auto-haemagglutinins observed in sera from Melanesian adults. As can be seen from Table I below, the incidence appears higher among coastal dwellers (73.4%) than among Highlanders (45.5%). The majority of cold-agglutinin containing sera collected in Port Moresby react with a new specificity within the T i system (BOOTH, JENKINS and MARSH [4]), and the antibody has been named anti-IT t o denote that it identifies a transitional antigen present maximally in the red blood cells of the new-born. Sera not containing anti-IT generally contain anti-I. A few sera contain pan-agglutinins, possibly anti-I plus anti-IT, and are being further investigated.The causes of this high incidence of cold agglutinins are so far speculative, and the present study was undertaken t o ascertain the age a t which emergence of cold agglutinins occurred.The subjects were all from Port Moresby, and almost all were in good health. A few patients were included in both the childhood and adult series. The latter series also included a number of antenatal patients.Tests were carried out in a cold room at 4"C, all specimens and apparatus being a t this temperature. Samples from the children consisted of one drop of blood from a finger-prick taken into three drops of glucose-citrate (ROUS and TURNER) solution. After standing overnight a t 4°C the specimen was spread on a white opaque glass cile and examined macroscopically. The cord and adult samples were t ollected using E.D.T.A. (potassium salt) as anticoagulant, left with their own plasma a t 4°C overnight, and examined as above, b y adding one drop of whole blood (mixed) t o three drops of physiological

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract