Cold Agglutinins

Results

A cold agglutinins blood test is done to check for conditions that cause the body to make cold agglutinins, or antibodies. The results of the cold agglutinin test may be shown in titers.

A titer is a measure of how much the blood sample can be diluted before the cold agglutinins can no longer be found. A titer of 1 to 8 (1:8) means that cold agglutinins can be found when 1 part of the blood sample is diluted by up to 8 parts of a salt solution (saline). A larger second number means there are more cold agglutinins in the blood. A titer of 1 to 128 means more cold agglutinins in the blood than a titer of 1 to 32.

Normal

Normal values may vary from lab to lab.

Cold agglutinins

Normal titer	Below 1 to 40 (1:40)

High values

• High titers of cold agglutinins may be caused by infections, such as pneumonia caused by mycoplasma, infectious mononucleosis, malaria, cytomegalovirus, or other viral infections. High titers can also mean hepatitis C, cirrhosis, or autoimmune disease.
• High levels of cold agglutinins can also be caused by diseases such as hemolytic anemia, multiple myeloma, rheumatoid arthritis, or scleroderma.
• Very high titers of cold agglutinins (more than 1 to 1,000) can mean lymphoma is present.
• High titers of cold agglutinins can cause symptoms when a person is exposed to cold temperatures. These symptoms can include numbness, burning, pain, or pale skin of the fingertips, toes, ears, or nose. Very high titers can mean you have a higher chance of developing blood clots (thromboses) when exposed to cold temperatures.

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Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS	Last Updated: July 27, 2006
Medical Review:	Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine W. David Colby IV, MSc, MD, FRCPC - Infectious Disease
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