Serum Protein Fractions in Patients With Down's Syndrome (Mongolism)

Abstract

ABNORMALITIES in the serum protein fractions in patients with Down's syndrome^1-3 consisting of an increase of γ-globulin with a concomitant decrease of albumin have been reported. Some^4-6 have shown that these alterations increase with age of the patients. Early investigation of serum proteins of patients with Down's syndrome yielded results at variance with the above observation. This study was undertaken to compare serum proteins of mongoloids ranging in age from 2 weeks to 55 years and a comparable group of normals by the techniques of electrophoresis and quantitative immunodiffusion. The majority of our subjects were institutionalized. Materials and Methods One hundred and one sera of 88 mongoloids were studied. Thirteen subjects were tested again at different ages. The diagnosis of mongolism was made on the usual clinical findings, and corroboration in most by the presence of serum-like protein patterns in lacrimal secretions and in some by chromosomal analyses.