title: Antiglobulin antibody in the sera of contacts of children with leukaemia.
abstract: Healthy adults (parents, neighbours, and hospital staff) in close contact with children with leukaemia were found to have a high incidence of positive latex agglutination antiglobulin tests (probably an IgM antiglobulin antibody). This may explain a previous report of a high incidence of IgM anti-EB virus antibodies in parents of leukaemic children, which our results did not confirm (IgM antiglobulin, reacting with IgG anti-EB virus, could have been misinterpreted as IgM anti-EB virus). The antiglobulin antibody probably represents a nonspecific response to an infective agent. Other hospital staff, including those exposed to nonleukaemic children with infections, had a much lower incidence of the antibody, and it may represent a response to the leukaemic process itself, rather than to the infections to which such children are prone. Some leukaemic children have a similar antibody.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000032:analysis*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000635:transmission*; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000635:transmission*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents
chemical_list: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D007075:Immunoglobulin M