Cold Agglutinins
Test Mnemonic
COLD
CPT Codes
- 86157 - QTY (1)
Includes
- Cold, 4 Degrees C
- Cold, 37 Degrees C
Performing Laboratory
Cleveland Clinic Laboratories
FDA Category
Analyte Specific Reagent
Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 mL | Serum | No additive (Red) | Ambient | Refrigerated | 1. Pre-warm tube(s) to 37°C in a water bath, incubator, or in a cup with heel warmers. 2. Immediately after collection, incubate the clotting blood for 90 minutes in a 37°C water bath, incubator, or in a cup with heel warmers. 3. Centrifuge tube(s) for 5 minutes at 3,000 rpm at room temperature 4. Remove the serum using a polystyrene transfer pipette and place into a labelled plastic tube. If needed repeat step 3 to remove extraneous red blood cells. |
Minimum Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 mL |
Stability
| Environmental Condition | Description |
|---|---|
| Ambient | 48 hours, after serum is removed from the clot; sample must clot at room temperature |
| Refrigerated | 14 days, after serum is removed from the clot; sample must clot at room temperature |
| Frozen | 30 days, after serum is removed from the clot; sample must clot at room temperature |
Days Performed
Tue - Sat
Turnaround Time
1 - 4 days
Methodology
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Agglutination |
Reference Range
| Cold Agglutinins | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | Age From | Age To | Type | Range | Range Unit |
| Negative (Normal): < 1:32 at 4 degrees C |
Special Info
Do not use serum separator tubes. Specimen must clot at room temperature. Refrigeration of specimens before separation of serum from cells will adversely affect results.
Clinical Info
Elevated cold agglutinin titers may be seen during infections such as with Mycoplasma pneumoniae, influenza viruses, Epstein-Barr virus, and Malaria parasites, among others and also in certain hematological malignancies and autoimmune diseases such autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Clinical correlation is required.