title: Effect of beta 2-microglobulin on immunoglobulin production.
abstract: Chronic renal failure patients display high serum levels of beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-M) and a pronounced defect in immunoglobulin production. In this light, the present study was conducted to investigate whether beta 2-M might influence the rate of antibody synthesis. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy subjects were cultured in the presence of beta 2-M (80 mg/l) for 7 days. Immunoglobulin concentrations were measured by ELISA-techniques in culture supernatants. Basal IgM levels were 390 +/- 10 ng/ml and increased to 940 +/- 216 ng/ml in the presence of beta 2-M. After PWM stimulation, IgM concentrations were 2654 +/- 614 ng/ml without and 3750 +/- 914 ng/ml with beta 2-M. IgG and IgA production by PBMCs was not influenced by beta 2-M in the culture medium. Likewise, the generation of beta 2-M by PBMCs was unchanged in the presence of exogenous beta 2-M in the medium. In terms of clinical relevance, serum beta 2-M levels of 28 uremic patients were correlated with capacity of their PBMCs for immunoglobulin production in vitro. However, there was no apparent correlation between beta 2-M serum levels and immunoglobulin synthesis in vitro. Taken together, beta 2-M seems to have a stimulatory effect on IgM synthesis in vitro. Whether this has some clinical meaning in patients with chronic renal failure remains to be investigated.
authors.affiliation: Transplantation Institute, Warsaw Medical School, Poland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Paczek
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Czarkowska
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heidland
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D014511:Uremia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin