title: Treatment of polyneuropathy in Waldenström's macroglobulinemia: role of paraproteinemia and immunologic studies.
abstract: A patient with polyneuropathy due to Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM) was treated successfully with chlorambucil and prednisone. Before therapy, 60% of peripheral lymphocytes were B cells, the nerve had IgM-bearing B-cell infiltrates, and the circulating IgM had antibody-binding activity to autologous and homologous nerves. Neurologic improvement, sustained for 4 years, began 3 months after therapy and coincided with the return to normal of bone marrow and circulating B cells. Binding of IgM to autologous and homologous nerves persisted after therapy, suggesting that not the IgM alone but other B-cell factors, possibly complexed to IgM, may have been responsible for the nerve damage.
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002699:Chlorambucil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009474:Neurons / Q000276:immunology; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008258:Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D002699:Chlorambucil; D011241:Prednisone