Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) ASCP Exam 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

In cold autoimmune hemolytic anemia, the typical characteristic involves the reactivity of antibodies at lower temperatures. Specifically, one of the defining features is the presence of anti-I antibodies, which are often associated with the agglutination of adult red blood cells but do not react with cord blood cells, which have a distinctive antigen profile. Cord red cells commonly express the i antigen instead of the I antigen found in adult cells, which accounts for the failure of anti-I to react with these cells. This reaction distinction is critical for diagnosis and understanding the mechanism behind cold autoimmune hemolytic anemia.

Other options do not align with the characteristics of this condition. The associative warmth in extremities is not characteristic of this type of anemia; anti-Kell antibodies are more relevant to different types of hemolytic disease; and while white blood cell counts may be affected in various conditions, they are not directly associated with the underlying mechanisms of cold autoimmune hemolytic anemia.