Plasma Cell Leukemia in BALB/c Mice Inoculated With Subcellular Material. II. Serological Changes

Summary

The reticular neoplasms induced in BALB/c mice with subcellular material, directly or indirectly, from reticular neoplasms of (CBA × DBA/2)F₁ mice have related abnormalities of the serum immunoglobulins. In one-third (44/137) of those primary neoplasms that were pleomorphic, containing large numbers of plasma cells, there was a large elevation of a single immunoglobulin class. Eighty-nine percent of these tumors produced an elevated level of γ2 immunoglobulin, either γG or γH, 9% produced γF, and one tumor produced γM. None of the tumors produced γA, and there were none which gave evidence of Bence Jones proteinuria. Several tumors gave definite evidence of producing the same protein through several generations of isogenic transplantation. The abnormal protein (γM) from one tumor was purified and separated into component chains that were both shown to be a homogeneous molecular species.