title: 'Incomplete' pyroglobulin-gamma disease in a patient with osteosclerotic myeloma.
abstract: A 50-year-old female, heterozygous for beta-thalassaemia was found to have a lytic lesion surrounded by osteosclerotic tissue in the 1st lumbar vertebra. Aspiration of the lesion showed 100% atypical plasma cells. The bone marrow contained 17% myeloma cells. Despite normal electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis of serum and urine, 'rouleaux' formation was pronounced. Treatment of the serum sample with 2-mercaptoethanol and heat (56 degrees C) disclosed an uncommon pyroglobulin. Analysis of the ammonium sulphate precipitate of the serum by sodium-dodecyl-sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed a 43 kD component with higher anodic mobility than normal gamma chains. Ultrafiltration column chromatography of the serum revealed a narrow spike of approximately 4 S that contained gamma heavy chain antigenic determinants in addition to normal 7 S IgG.
mesh_terms: D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006362:Heavy Chain Disease / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D005779:Immunodiffusion; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000032:analysis*; D007142:Immunoglobulin gamma-Chains / Q000032:analysis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000097:blood*; D010026:Osteosclerosis / Q000097:blood*; D010266:Paraproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D011750:Pyroglobulins / Q000032:analysis*; D014462:Ultrafiltration
chemical_list: D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007142:Immunoglobulin gamma-Chains; D010266:Paraproteins; D011750:Pyroglobulins