Identification of IgG alloantibodies in patients with high-titer IgM cold agglutinins by serum/plasma affinity chromatography.

The detection of IgG alloantibodies in the presence of high-titer cold autoagglutinins (CAs) can be extremely difficult, especially under pressure of time when transfusion of red blood cells is urgently needed. Here we demonstrate that IgG alloantibodies in the presence of high-titer IgM CAs can be easily detected by quantitative IgG purification from serum or plasma by affinity chromatography. In comparison with the routinely used methods for IgG alloantibody identification, affinity chromatography shows better or identical results and is the method leading to results most rapidly.