Promoting Recognition, Diagnosis and Treatment of Cold Agglutinin Disease

Aug 30 2021
Promoting Recognition, Diagnosis and Treatment of Cold Agglutinin Disease Podcast artwork

Cold Agglutinin Disease is a rare, chronic hemolytic disorder, representing approximately 20% of all autoimmune hemolytic anemias. Catherine M. Broome, MD, and Alexander Röth, MD, provide an understanding of the pathogenesis of this disorder caused by cold-reacting IgM autoantibodies and reveal common clinical features. Because of the high mortality rate among those suffering from CAD, it is important to be aware of the diagnostic criteria, as well as the current and novel treatment options, with the goal of increasing hemoglobin levels, avoiding the need for transfusions, and improving circul

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Pathogenesis and Clinical Features of Cold Agglutinin Disease

Aug 30 2021 19 mins  
Cold Agglutinin Disease (CAD, a type of Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia, AIHA) is a rare disease, challenging at presentation and can present acutely or with more chronic symptoms CAD is a subtype of AIHA (accounting for ~20% of all AIHA) caused by IgM autoantibodies, which tend to react at cold temperatures; Cold Agglutinin Syndrome (CAS) is also an AIHA mediated by IgM, associated w

Interactive Case Scenario

Aug 30 2021 6 mins  
Follow the case of a 62-year-old female who began to feel fatigue and shortness of breath in December 2010 through treatment to April 2017

Emerging Treatments for Cold Agglutinin Disease

Aug 30 2021 12 mins  
Unmet medical need due to the high frequency of persistent anemia/hemolysis; immunochemotherapy is unsuccessful in at least 25% of cases because of treatment failure or toxicity; and small B-cell clone shows low proliferation activity and is difficult to target efficiently Need for rapid acting therapy, especially in specific clinical settings, such as acute and severe exacerbatio

Current Treatment Approaches for Patients with Cold Agglutinin Disease

Aug 30 2021 7 mins  
Treatment goals should be to improve anemia by increasing Hb levels, avoid transfusion, improve circulatory symptoms caused by cold temperatures and reduce inflammatory symptoms There are a number of non-pharma treatment options, including thermal protection and cold avoidance and transfusions (avoid cold transfusions) Corticosteroids should not be used to treat CAD There are seve

Diagnosing Cold Agglutinin Disease

Aug 30 2021 7 mins  
To identify potential patients, a diagnostic workup of AIHA is essential, including antibody type, patient history and physical exam, hemoglobin levels and blood cell counts, blood smear examination and direct antiglobulin test (DAT) Diagnostic criteria for CAD include chronic hemolysis, polyspecific DAT positive, monospecific DAT strongly positive for C3d, CA titer ≥64 at 4°C