title: Selective induction of light chain synthesis in cultures of blood lymphocytes from patients with IgG myelomatosis.
abstract: In the present study evidence is provided that neoplastic B cells from the blood from four of 24 patients with myelomatosis were activated selectively with polyclonal B cell mitogens. In three of these patients the activated cells produced light chains without heavy chains; of these, two patients had IgGK paraproteins and one had free lambda light chain disease. The ratio of kappa-expressing to lambda-expressing B cells in the initial blood B cell preparations was within the range for healthy controls for all four patients where neoplastic B cells were selectively activated. It is concluded that in some patients with myelomatosis the neoplastic clone is a mosaic of: (1) cells capable of synthesizing both light and heavy chains with (2) cells producing light chains only.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, University of Birmingham Medical School, UK.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: MacLennan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000276:immunology*; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens