Immunoelectrophoretic Studies of Serums from Mice Carrying Two Transplantable Plasma-Cell Leukemias2

Abstract

Immunoelectrophoretic investigations were made on serums from mice carrying 2 plasma-cell leukemia vid. transplantation lines 20 and 36 associated respectively with development of β-paraprotein and γ-paraprotein with M-mobility. In line 20, the β-paraprotein-developing leukemia, this abnormal protein fraction immunoelectrophoretically belonged to the faster part of the normal mouse γ-globulin, thus labeling this leukemia immunochemically as γ-type with β-mobility. Another abnormality was increase and faster mobility of β₂-_III-globulin, and increase of β₂-_I-fraction. Line 36 divided in the first transfer into 2 sublines, 36 y and 36 x, with and without γ-paraprotein of M-type, respectively. The serological characteristics within each line remained unchanged for several passages. In paraprotein-containing serum from line 36 y, significant increase in the intermediate part of the γ-globulin bow was seen. In serums from line 36 x, this γ-bow was fainter than in normal serum. In line 36 y, the β₂-_III-globulin showed the same increase and abnormal velocity found in line 20. Increase in β₂-_I-fraction was more pronounced than in line 20. In line 36 x the same abnormality of β₂-^III, but no increase in β₂-_I, was detected. In all 3 transplantation lines, parts of the γ-bow not involved in paraprotein transformation were reduced in concentration. The significance of changes observed in β₂-_III- and β-_I-fractions and the correlation of these changes to the leukemic process is unknown. The findings were discussed and were compared to electrophoretic patterns seen in human beings with myelomas.