Quantitative immunoelectrophoretic analysis in patients with tuberculosis and sarcoidosis.

A study of 12 immunologically distinct serum proteins has been made in two conditions, tuberculosis and sarcoidosis, which have in common the formation of giant-cell granulomata. Significantly (p<0·001) higher concentrations of five proteins [α group component (GC), caeruloplasmin (caer), haptoglobin (hpt), haemopexin (hpx), and α easily precipitable glycoprotein (α PGp)] were found in tuberculosis. No significant differences from normal were found in patients with sarcoidosis. The results obtained compared to the available figures for conventional electrophoresis and the so-called `acute phase reaction' are discussed.