The presence of a reticulocytosis was found to be irrelevant to the development of a positive Coombs test when an appropriate anti-globulin reagent is used. When a serum made against mouse-whole serum is used, any circumstance leading to the firm attachment of serum proteins to erythrocytes will lead to agglutination. Blood containing moderate to high reticulocyte levels (20-86.5 per cent) gave a proportion of "false-positive" Coombs tests, especially blood from strains HI and C57/B1, but no anti-globulin Coombs reactions were obtained. Immunoelectrophoretic tests showed that 3 lines in the β globulin area, one of which was probably transferrin, were removed by absorption with reticulocytes.

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© 1965 by American Society of Hematology, Inc.
1965
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