Metabolism of Human Gamma Microglobulins

Abstract

Birke, G., Norberg, R., Olhagen, B. & Plantin, L.-O. Metabolism of Human Gamma Macroglobulins. Scand. J. clin. Lab. Invest. 19, 171-180, 1967. The metabolism of gamma M-globulin was studied in 4 cases with macroglobulinaemia and 4 controls. The macroglobulinaemic cases received autologous preparations, one of them got his own cryoglobulin, two controls with severe cerebral lesions received gamma M-globulin prepared from macroglobulinaemic serum and 2 controls received gamma M-globulin from pooled normal sera. The fractional catabolic rate was independent of the serum gamma M-globulin level. It was found to be around 10 per cent, corresponding in the controls to 0.1-0.4 g per day and in macroglobulinaemia to 3.8-18.8 g per day. The macroglobulins remained predominantly in the intra-vascular compartment. Special attention was directed to the question of the metabolic behaviour of autologous and homologous gamma M-globulin. The metabolic data argued in favour of different initial treatment of homologous and autologous gamma M-globulin.