GENETIC AND CLINICAL-STUDIES OF SERUM BETA-2-MICROGLOBULIN LEVELS IN HEMATOLOGICAL MALIGNANCIES

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 46  (1) , 134-141
Abstract
Sera from 244 patients with hematological malignancies were examined for .beta.2-microglobulin (.beta.2m) levels. There were 142 leukemias, 32 malignant lymphomas, 3 immunoblastic lymphomas, 2 pseudolymphomas and 65 multiple myelomas. Culture supernatants from various established cell lines were also tested. The phenotype facilitation .beta.2m shedding from the cell surface appeared to be independent of the specific IgG H chain allotypes; a myeloma group with normal serum .beta.2m levels showed a significant association with the specific Gm allotypes. The determination of serum .beta.2m levels can provide valuable information on the proliferative stage of the disorders, the effectiveness of chemotherapy and be a diagnostic aid for blastic crisis in chronic myelocytic leukemias and for subtyping lymphoid malignancies.