Margarida Maia, PhD, science writer —

About one in five people infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 test positive on a direct Coombs test, which indicates their red blood cells may be covered with antibodies like those that cause cold agglutinin disease (CAD),  a small study reports. Those antibodies, called cold agglutinins, weren’t…

A young woman in Colombia developed cold agglutinin disease (CAD) secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune disease often called lupus, a study reports. While other types of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) — rare autoimmune diseases marked by self-reactive antibodies attacking and destroying red blood cells —…

A man with cold agglutinin disease (CAD) had significant red blood cell clumping in his coronary arteries during a procedure to correct an abnormal heart rhythm, blocking blood supply to the heart, according to a recent case report. Researchers called this “a novel and unusual manifestation” of CAD that…

For a toddler in Brazil, cold agglutinin disease (CAD) occurred secondary to an infection with an adenovirus, a common virus that can cause symptoms similar to a cold or the flu, a case study reports. According to the researchers, this represents “the first pediatric case of cold agglutinin syndrome…

Legionnaires’ disease — a lung infection caused by a group of bacteria called Legionella — caused secondary cold agglutinin disease (CAD) in a 40-year-old man, a case study reports. The case, which represents the second reported case of CAD secondary to Legionnaires’ disease, suggest doctors should consider this infection…

A young woman developed cold agglutinin disease (CAD) secondary to pneumonia, but responded well to red blood cell transfusions and treatment with the antibiotic doxycycline, according to a U.S. report. When CAD occurs secondary to an infection, “supportive therapy and treatment of the underlying infection is sufficient,” researchers…

A man with cold agglutinin disease (CAD) was found to have another autoimmune condition called pernicious anemia and vitamin B12 deficiency, according to researchers in the U.S. who called the case a rare instance of “three ongoing medical conditions simultaneously.” The case study, “A Case Report of Cold…

The induced reduction in body temperature during an emergency surgery to replace a damaged heart component revealed the presence of mild cold agglutinin disease (CAD) in a woman in India, a study reports. The case study, “Cardiopulmonary Bypass Surgery-Cold Alert!,” was published in Annals of Cardiac Anaesthesia.

Four rare disease advocacy groups have been chosen by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) to take part in IAMRARE, a program that will help them launch their own patient-powered natural history studies. Rare diseases, including cold agglutinin disease (CAD) often are poorly understood, and there…

Blood transfusions may be challenging in children with cold agglutinin disease (CAD), but should remain an option for those with severe disease, a small study in India suggests. Most of the eight children with CAD in the study received a blood transfusion, but none were complete matches in terms…