Previous studies showed that polyclonal anti-DNA antibodies from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) share cross-reactive idiotypes (CRI). In this report, we used human myeloma proteins (HMP), isolated from the serum of patients with multiple myeloma or Waldenström macroglobulinemia, as probes to further explore this idiotypic cross-reactivity. Fourty-four HMP were tested for DNA-binding capacity and for expression of CRI associated with lupus anti-DNA antibodies. Anti-DNA IgG were immunoaffinity purified from the serum of patient TOF with severe SLE. A xenogeneic anti-idiotype antibody to this IgG was raised in rabbit. This anti-idiotype recognized CRI associated with the combining site of anti-DNA IgG from unrelated SLE patients. Using inhibition competitive-immunoassays, we found that these CRI were present on all but one of the DNA-binding HMP. Furthermore, we observed that these CRI were detectable on an IgG2 lambda, a HMP devoid of anti-DNA activity. These findings are in agreement with those previously obtained in similar studies using murine monoclonal anti-DNA antibodies. These converging results suggest that antibodies expressing anti-DNA-related CRI and antibodies exhibiting anti-DNA-binding affinity constitute overlapping molecular subpopulations.
Routine screening of monoclonal gammapathies (M.G.) was performed on the serum of 13,914 blood donors by cellulose acetate electrophoresis. Twenty-six cases of M.G. were detected corresponding to a frequency of 0.19 per cent. The incidence of the M.G. progresses with increasing age comparatively to the age distribution of the blood donors under investigation. Most of the M.G. detected can be classified as "asymptomatic" M.G. (23 of the 26) and heavy chain classes are only IgG or IgM with a large predominance of IgG class (about 90%). It is suggested that donors in whom M.G. have been detected should not be eligible for blood donation. A yearly clinical, hematologic and immunoglobulin checkup is recommended for these patients in order to detect a possible malignant transformation.
Abstract. Serum electrophoresis were performed in 13,400 healthy adult subjects (blood donors) and 20 cases of monoclonal gammapathy were detected: ten cases out of 10,300 blood donors from Paris and ten out of 3,100 blood donors from Saint‐Nazaire. The frequency of ‘M Component’ was of 0.1 and 0.3%, respectively. Four cases were related to myeloma or Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia and the other 16 cases could be ascribed to a ‘benign essential monoclonal gammapathy’ (BEMG). The distribution of heavy and light chain classes in BEMG was 13 γ (11 K and 2 L) and 3 MK. This screening of a normal population allowed detection of either clinically premalignant states or the occurrence and evolution of benign essential forms of gammapathies.
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