Changes in the serum proteins and leucocyte counts of rhesus monkeys in the early stages of infection with Trypanosoma gambiense

Abstract
1. Changes in the leucocyte counts, serum proteins and the catabolism of γ-globulin have been studied in three rhesus monkeys infected with Trypanosoma gambiense. 2. One monkey developed a marked lymphocytosis and the others a moderate lymphocytosis when compared with the uninfected control. 3. The first monkey also showed a great increase in serum γ-globulin, the percentage of this fraction doubling during the infection; the other animals showed a more moderate increase in γ-globulin. The percentage of serum albumin was reduced in all the infected animals; α- and β-globulins were largely unchanged and there were no significant changes in the total serum proteins. 4. In the infected monkeys 131I-labelled γ-globulin was catabolized faster than in the same animals before infection. Thus the increase in serum γ-globulin cannot represent an accumulation of these proteins due to a decrease in their rate of catabolism; there must be a considerable increase in the synthesis of γ-globulin in response to the infection. Since it is known that the lymph nodes are concerned in the production of γ-globulin, the lymphocytosis and the increase in γ-globulin synthesis in the infected monkeys may be related phenomena.