Antibody studies in hypogammaglobulinemia.

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Abstract
It has been suggested that antibody production might be demonstrable in all hypogammaglobulinemic patients if sufficently sensitive assay methods were used. Bacteriophage oxl74 was administered to 8 hypogammaglobulinemic children, who were demonstrably defective in antibody synthesis by other criteria. Primary and secondary antibody responses were detected in 7 children as determined by measurement of circulating phage clearance rates and the acquisition of specific serum phage neutralizing activity. Primary and secondary responses in patients were quantitatively 1/100 - 1/1000 those of controls and consisted of predominately IgM antibody, with minimal development of the IgG responses seen normally with this antigen. Differences of response between patients support the concept that the congenital sporadic hypogammaglobulinemias are etiologically heterogenious. Further evidence that the macroglobulin immunoglobulin system can express immunologic memory is also presented.