title: Gamma heavy chain disease associated with Hodgkin's disease. Clinical, pathologic, and immunologic features of one case.
abstract: This report describes the clinical, pathologic, and immunologic features of a patient with gamma heavy chain disease (gamma-HCD) associated with Hodgkin's disease (HD). The diagnosis of gamma-HCD was established by serum electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis and confirmed by biochemical analysis of patient's serum showing the presence of an incomplete gamma chain, with an approximate molecular weight of 40 kilodaltons. The diagnosis of HD rested upon the presence of systemic lymphadenopathy, the typical histologic pattern and reactivity of Reed-Sternberg cells with the LeuM1-CD15 monoclonal antibody. The two diseases developed independently, in the absence of any immunosuppressive treatment. Furthermore, there was some evidence suggesting that HD tissue was not responsible for the production of the incomplete gamma chain. This and similar cases may provide a model for a better understanding of the events leading to the simultaneous outgrowth of two lymphoid neoplasias in the same patient.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Università di Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Benedetto
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cataldi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verde
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gloghini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nicolò
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pistoia
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006362:Heavy Chain Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007122:Immunoelectrophoresis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000032:analysis*; D007142:Immunoglobulin gamma-Chains / Q000032:analysis*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007142:Immunoglobulin gamma-Chains