RESUMO
The total kappa/lambda immunoglobulin light chain ratio and the kappa/lambda ratios within each of the serum immunoglobulin classes G, A, and M were measured in thirteen patients with humoral immunological disorders. Of those patients, eight had common variable immunodeficiency whereas five patients had other forms of humoral immunological deficiencies. Eleven patients had abnormal antibody response in vivo. All but three of the thirteen patients had clearly abnormal light chain ratios in one or more of the immunoglobulin classes. We conclude that humoral immunological disorders, usually characterized by abnormal heavy chain production and a disturbed antibody response, may frequently have a concomitant abnormal synthesis of the light chains resulting in an abnormal kappa/lambda light chain ratio.
Assuntos
Imunoglobulina A/química , Imunoglobulina G/química , Cadeias Leves de Imunoglobulina/química , Imunoglobulina M/química , Síndromes de Imunodeficiência/imunologia , Adolescente , Formação de Anticorpos , Linfócitos B/imunologia , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Humanos , Ativação Linfocitária , Masculino , Linfócitos T/imunologiaRESUMO
An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is described for measuring kappa and lambda light chains within each of the serum immunoglobulin classes G, A and M. The detection limit was 0.06 U/L for total IgG, IgG kappa and IgG lambda, 0.2 U/L for total IgA, IgA kappa and IgA lambda and 0.5 U/L for total IgM, IgM kappa and IgM lambda. The concentrations of kappa plus lambda light chains from the three different immunoglobulins correlated well within those of total immunoglobulin G, A and M as measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or by immunonephelometry. Adult values for the kappa/lambda light chain ratio were found to be 2.0 for IgG kappa/lambda, 1.1 for IgA kappa/lambda and 1.7 for IgM kappa/lambda.
