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PRIMARY macroglobulinaemia (Waldenstrom's disease) has been observed in two brothers aged respectively 65 and 63 years. The clinical and haematological findings are summarized in Table 1. These two patients showed almost the same clinical picture : haemorrhagic disorders with frequent epistaxis, haematoma, melœna ; anaemia, increase of the lymphoid cells in the circulating blood, and in bone marrow. The eye grounds show a dysproteinaemic aspect and bilateral bleedings. Patient 1 (Louis D.) shows enlarged lymph nodes and splenomegaly.

FROM results already published on the haptoglobin types in African populations, three points deserve attention. First, the Hp (1–1) type is very frequent. Secondly, the Hp (1–2) modified type, described by Connel and Smithies, is present much more often than in European populations1. Thirdly, the so-called ahaptoglobinaemic sera, which are so rare in the latter, were found in Africa with a frequency of up to 40 per cent1,2.

In normal human serum IgA is present in a series of polymeric forms; the largely predominant monomeric 7S form coexists with components of increasing sedimentation coefficients (1,2). This size heterogeneity was also observed in serum of IgA myeloma (3,4). In 1964, studying 32 isolated IgA myeloma proteins, we reported that starch gel electrophoresis revealed 3 different types of polymerization — type I, II and III (5). More than 95% of 165 IgA M-components analyzed in this laboratory could be ascribed to one of these types. In our experience the type of polymerization remains stable for any given IgA myeloma. Taking advantage of a procedure for IgA purification which avoids the sieving effects or gel filtration (6), we confirmed and extended our previous findings (7). In this communication we present data concerning the types of size heterogeneity observed in monoclonal and polyclonal IgA preparations.

IN the method of electrophoresis on starch gel recommended by Smithies1, the gels obtained after the electrophoresis and staining of proteins are opaque, difficult to preserve and not suitable for photometric evaluation. For this reason we have devised a technique for preparing starch gels which remain transparent after staining.

SummaryA familial occurrence of β 2 macroglobulinaemia has been found in 4 instances. The antigenic structure of the macroglobulins in members of a given family has been investigated with antisera specific to the patients' macroglobulins. In one family, the serum of the asymptomatic mother contained 2 distinct kinds of macroglobulins and each of her 2 sons (affected with Waldenstrom disease) had one of them and not the other. In 2 other families, the antigenic structure of the macroglobulin was different in each of the 2 relatives.

Groulade Paul, Groulade J., Fine J.-M. Hyper-gammaglobulinémie polyclonale associée à un syndrome hémorragique chez le chien . In: Bulletin de l'Académie Vétérinaire de France tome 125 n°9, 1972. pp. 407-411.