title: Kappa and lambda light chain composition of antibody to the capsular polysaccharide of Haemophilus influenzae type b.
abstract: Concentrations of total immunoglobulins bearing kappa and lambda light chains were measured in the sera of 215 healthy white children aged 6 months to 10 years. Both kappa and lambda concentrations increased with age. However, the concentration of immunoglobulins bearing kappa light chains increased at a greater rate than those bearing lambda light chains (P = .01). Thus, the kappa:lambda ratio of the youngest children (6-24 months) was significantly lower than that of the oldest (25-130 months) (P = .0015). The relationship between the IgG antibody concentration and the light chain composition of the specific antibody directed to Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) polysaccharide was also assessed in 62 of 215 serum samples with detectable Hib antibody. The IgG Hib antibody concentration was strongly correlated with the kappa:lambda Hib antibody ratio (r = .60, P = .001), and this correlation was independent of age. Thus, light chain selection and response to polysaccharides may be regulated by common mechanisms that mature late in ontogeny.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Ambrosino
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Greif
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Siber
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D016667:Bacterial Capsules; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000032:analysis*; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains / Q000032:analysis*; D007223:Infant; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines; C044237:Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide vaccine; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial