Extremely high titers of serum antibodies against the streptococcal exoenzyme deoxyribonuclease B.
In sera from 4 of 25,000 individuals tested for antibodies against streptococci, extremely high antideoxyribonuclease B titers ( > 10(6) U/ml) were found. Two of the cases were diagnosed as monoclonal gammopathies. The M-components were shown to possess the anti-deoxyribonuclease B activity. The other two cases were diagnosed as relapsing erysipelas. The high serum titers of deoxyribonuclease B antibodies were accompanied by a very inflammatory reactivity in the patients' sera and by an oligopolyclonal pattern of immunoglobulin G. In routine diagnoses of streptococcal infections with the anti-deoxyribonuclease B test, patients with extremely high serum titers should be examined for the possible occurrence of gammopathies.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D000989:Antistreptolysin / Q000032:analysis; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases / Q000276:immunology*; D004886:Erysipelas / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006942:Hypergammaglobulinemia / Q000276:immunology; D005779:Immunodiffusion; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D000989:Antistreptolysin; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases