Serum gamma globulin levels and the detection of IgG heavy chain and light chain in the serum and urine of cases of pig hereditary lymphosarcoma

Pigs with hereditary lymphosarcoma were found to show an increase in serum gamma globulin levels from 0.24 to 2.04 g/dl during a period from the 10 th to the 24 th week of life. Compared to normal litter mates this increase was significant ( P P All cases in the later stages of the disease had an IgG heavy chain (γFc) and light chain (γL) component in their serum and urine. This component could not be found in the serum or urine of normal litter mates, but could be extracted from mesenteric lymph nodes of normal pigs and lymphosarcoma cases. The molecular size of the main component in serum and urine was approximately 50 to 60 × 10 3 . Other tumour cell products similar to foetal albumin, alpha 2 and beta globulin were also present in the serum of lymphosarcoma cases. With the exception of trace amounts of albumin foetal proteins were not present in the serum of normal litter mates.