ALPHA-CHAIN DISEASE AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH INTESTINAL LYMPHOMA

  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 26  (1) , 124-128
Abstract
Twenty-seven intestinal lymphoma patients were studied. Abnormal .alpha.-chain immunoglobulin [Ig] was detected in the sera of 7 of these patients. The .alpha.-chain disease patients were from the rural areas of Southern Iran. They were of low socioeconomic status and their age ranged from 15-44 yr. Predominant clinical features were malabsorption, diarrhea, abnormal pain, vomiting and weight loss. Infiltration of the mucosa of the small intestine with plasma cells and also distortion and flattening of the villi were common histopathologic characteristics of these patients. Involvement of mesenteric lymph nodes with infiltration of tumor cells was observed in a number of cases. Protein studies revealed no significant differences between the serum Ig levels of these patients and normal values. Immunoelectrophoresis using monospecific antiserum against H-chain of human IgA demonstrated the abnormal precipitin band of .alpha.-chain disease protein.