On a Peculiar Serum Protein,Precipitated by Hayem's Solution,Occurring in Multiple Myeloma

Abstract

During the estimation of the erythrocytes in the blood of a patient suffering from multiple myeloma, the author observed that immediately after the mixing of the blood with the Hayem's solution a coarse, white precipitate formed. This precipitate, when viewed under the microscope, consisted of amorphous, translucent masses. The same precipitate came down when either plasma or serum were mixed with Hayem's solution. Mixed with equal volumes of the diluent, dilutions of serum as high as 1:250 gave the same reaction. Sodium sulphate, which is present in Hayem's solution in a concentration of 2.5%, yielded, in aqueous solution, no precipitate with this serum, while bichloride of mercury, in a concentration of 0.25%, brought down the abundant precipitate.

Since the original observation, the writer has examined the bloods of 6 additional cases of multiple myeloma and has noted the above phenomenon in 3 instances, yielding a total of 4 cases, out of 7, which exhibited material in the blood that was precipitated by Hayem's solution.

In Tables I and II are presented data concerning some of the properties of the sera of 3 cases, and in addition of the serum of one case of myeloma in which the Hayem precipitate was absent. For the fractionation of the serum proteins the method of Howe 1 was followed: all determinations were performed in duplicate or triplicate.

From the data of Table I, it is apparent that in the sera of the 3 positive cases, the bulk of the globulin consisted of euglobulin, in contrast with the predominance of the pseudoglobulin fraction in the serum of the negative case, patient No. 2. Separation of globulin yielded, by means of 1/2 sat. (NH₄)₂SO₄, sat. NaCl, and sat.