Donath-Landsteiner antibody


Do·nath-Land·stein·er an·ti·bo·dy

(dō'naht-lahnt'shtī-nĕr an'ti-bod-ē) An IgG antibody associated with paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria. The antibody is biphasic, reacting with erythrocytes at temperatures lower than 15°C, which fixes complement to the cell membrane. On reaching body temperature, the antibody detaches, but the terminal complement components are activated on the cell membrane, causing hemolysis.
See also: hemoglobinuria

Donath-Landsteiner antibody

(dō′nath″land′stīn″ĕr) [Julius Donath, Austrian physician, 1870–1950; Karl L. Landsteiner, Austrian-born U.S. biologist, 1868–1943] A test for paroxysmal hemoglobinuria. Blood from the patient is cooled to 5°C, and a cold hemolysin in the plasma combines with the red blood cells if the patient has the disease. On warming, the sensitized red cells are hemolyzed by the complement normally present.