Antigenic Studies of J Chain

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Abstract
An antiserum to human J chain was prepared by injection of purified J chain in complete Freund's adjuvant into the popliteal lymph nodes of rabbits. The antiserum was used to screen urine and serum samples of patients with multiple myeloma and macroglobulinemia for the presence of J chain, and to determine the extent of cross-reaction between human and other mammalian J chains. Free J chain was detected by gel diffusion immunoelectrophoretic analysis in the urines but not the sera of two of 100 patients tested. The urinary J chain cross-reacted extensively with isolated J chain and had a similar electrophoretic mobility. The J chains of various species cross-reacted extensively with human J chain suggesting a great deal of structural homology among these chains. The most extensive cross-reaction was observed between man and monkey, whereas dog, mouse, and guinea pig J chains were antigenically deficient when compared to human J chain.

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