Alpha-chain disease: a new immunoglobulin abnormality.

A new type of pathological immunoglobulin was found in the serum, urine, and saliva of a young Arab patient with abdominal lymphoma and diffuse lymphoplasmacytic infiltration of the small intestine. This protein is devoid of light chains and is closely related to the alpha polypeptide chains of the gamma(A1) (Le) subclass of immunoglobulin A. It is characterized by electrophoretic heterogeneity, tendency toward polymerization, and a high carbohydrate content. No intracellular synthesis of light chain was detected.