Autoimmune Hemolytic Disease

Abstract

Introduction The abnormal red cell destruction in autoimmune hemolytic disease (A. I. H. D.) is attributed to the action of autoantibodies. This concept would be more firmly established if a relationship between the severity of the disease and the amount and variety of the antibodies being formed could be clearly demonstrated. Since most of the autoantibody is adsorbed by the red cells, little is left free in the serum to characterize and quantify. Indeed, the majority of patients with this disorder do not have a sufficient concentration of free serum antibody to be demonstrated by available serological methods. Antibody attached to red cells may be separated from the whole cell or from the stroma of sensitized cells by several methods that have been found effective in bringing about dissociation of antigen and antibody.^1,2 Antibody recovered in such eluates of red cell stroma may be observed for a variety of