Antibodies to Epstein‐Barr virus and cytomegalovirus, determined by an indirect immunofluorescence technique, were found to be significantly elevated in sera of untreated patients with Hodgkin's disease, as opposed to sera of age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls. Significantly higher titers were also found in subgroups with clinically advanced disease. This pattern did not hold for histologic subclasses, as significant antibody elevations occurred only in the prognostically favorable types. Australia antibody was demonstrated by counter‐electrophoresis in four patients but in none of the controls. The prevalence of the various antibodies might be explained by a humoral hyper‐reactivity secondary to a cellular immunologic deficiency. The results presented cast some doubt on a specific role of Epstein‐Barr virus in Hodgkin's disease.
The present paper deals with the rare phenomenon of the sequential development of Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (WM) and γ1 heavy chain disease (γ1-HCD) in a single patient. The coexistence of both monoclonal proteins lasted for more than 9 years. Serial determinations were made of serum levels of IgM, IgA, intact IgG, and the γ-HCD protein. Immunofluorescent studies of a bone marrow aspirate confirmed the diagnosis of an IgM(κ) monoclonal gammopathy and also showed cells which were thought to synthesize the γ-HCD protein. The molecular weight of the γ-HCD protein was 60,000 in the dimeric form. It is concluded that the original IgM(eκ) monoclonal gammopathy predisposed the patient for a second lymphoproliferative disorder (the γ-HCD) and that both monoclonal proteins are immunogenetically unrelated.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.