DISTRIBUTION OF ALPHA-CHAIN SUBCLASSES IN NORMAL AND PATHOLOGICAL IGA-GLOBULINS

  • 1 January 1968
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 14  (3) , 425-+
Abstract
Of 332 monoclonal [human] IgA-(immunoglobulin A)components, 6.6% belonged to the He subclass and the remainder to the Le subclass of [alpha]-chains. The light-chain type distribution ( [kappa] or [lambda]) was not statistically different in these 2 subclasses, being 54,5 and 57.7%, respectively. Proteins of subclass He tended to occur at higher average concentrations in the pathological sera, and were of a higher electrophoretic mobility than were components of the Le type. From a comparison of the concentrations of Le-type IgA and total IgA (Le + He) in a large number of individual sera without monoclonal components, it was concluded that the proportions of Le-type and He-type molecules were approximately the same (93.46. 6) in most individuals. The Le- and He-type IgA molecules may be produced by separate gene loci.