Essential mixed cryoglobulinemia (EMC) and the V(Kiiib) light chain sub -subgroup.

摘要

Essential mixed cryoglobulinemia (EMC), is an autoimmune IgM anti-IgG monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. This thesis attempts to better understand the "significance" of EMC by examining three related areas: characteristics of the peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) compartment in EMC vs healthy volunteers; relationship of monoclonal IgM autoantibodies in EMC to anti-IgG antibodies (AGAs) in Sjogren's syndrome (SS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA);and characteristics of V;Compared to healthy volunteers FACS data demonstrate abnormalities, in the EMC B-cell compartment, suggestive of a monoclonal/oligoclonal B-cell population. Deviations observed consist of elevated percentages of B1(+), B2(+), B4(+), Ia(+), and sIg/K(+) B-cells. There were no elevations of CALLA(+) or PCA(+) B-cells nor were there abnormalities of the T-cell compartment by FACS. Functional studies of PBMCs using pokeweed mitogen demonstrated a marked increase in number of stimulatable IgM anti-IgG secreting B-cells in EMC.;Data also revealed that association of V;The characteristics of the V