Mu-chain disease in a case of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and malignant histiocytoma. II. Immunochemical studies.
Agarose gel electrophoresis of serum from the eleventh case of mu-chain disease (mu-CD) showed two distinct abnormal bands due to free light chains and  kappa-complexes with other serum proteins. This caused diagnostic difficulties on conventional immunoelectrophoresis, and crossed immunoelectrophoresis with intermediate gel is demonstrated as a superior tool for investigation of mu-CD. A simple rocket immunoelectrophoresis method foe mu-CD screening is also shown. The mu-CD protein had alpha-2-mobility and a part of the protein carried kappa-determinants probably due to secondary binding. Preparative ultracentrifugation and size chromatography on serum demonstrated that the mu-CD protein was present in serum in several sizes, the smallest being a dimer of mu-chains. Due to scarcity of material the abnormal protein could not be characterized further.
D000328:Adult; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005260:Female; D006362:Heavy Chain Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D018219:Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007122:Immunoelectrophoresis; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains / Q000032:analysis; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology
D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains