COMPARATIVE STUDIES ON MONOTYPIC IGM-LAMBDA AND IGG-KAPPA FROM AN INDIVIDUAL PATIENT .4. IMMUNOFLUORESCENT EVIDENCE FOR A COMMON CLONAL SYNTHESIS

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 50  (2) , 203-211
Abstract
Previous studies presented evidence of shared idiotypic antigenic determinants located within the variable (VH) region of the H chains of monotypic Ig[immunoglobulin]M .lambda. and IgG.kappa. isolated from the serum of an individual patient, Bro, with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia. Comparative N-terminal VH sequence analyses demonstrated that the respective .mu. and .gamma. chains belong to separate VH subgroups. The entire VH sequence of the Bro .mu. chain was reported, but the VH sequence of the Bro .gamma. chain awaits completion. The results of an immunofluorescent analysis of cytoplasmic lg of lymphoid cells isolated from the patient''s peripheral blood and bone marrow are reported. Between 6% and 9% of the cytoplasmic Ig-positive lymphoid cells exhibited fluorescent evidence for the dual presence of .kappa. and .lambda. chains as well as .mu. and .gamma. chains. The idiotypically related Bro IgM.lambda. and IgG.kappa. paraproteins are apparently derived from a common clonal origin. The dual presence of IgG.kappa. and IgG.lambda. paraproteins within individual myeloma plasma cells was demonstrated. Collectively, these studies suggest that a single neoplastic lymphoid clone may not necessarily be restricted to the synthesis of Ig proteins of the identical L chain class. These findings may have a broad implication for the understanding of surface and cytoplasmic Ig markers of neoplastic lymphoid cells in certain other lymphoproliferative disorders.