Abstract
It has been shown recently 1 , 2 that many cases of lymphogranuloma inguinale develop hyperproteinemia, comparable in degree, incidence and fractional distribution to that long known to occur in kala-azar. This observation, it has been pointed out, affords an explanation for certain peculiarities of the serum in lymphogranuloma inguinale—peculiarities which appear to be common to most sera with definite hyperglobulinemia, irrespective of etiology: 1. increased erythrocytic sedimentation rate 1 ; 2. anticomplementary properties of the serum in a significant proportion of cases 3 ; 3. apparent discrepancy in acid-base equivalence of the blood in that the sum of the determined acid-equivalents appears to exceed the total base. 2 A further property of the serum in lymphogranuloma inguinale, likewise ascribable to hyperglobulinemia, is described in the present study. It was found that the formol-gel test, used extensively for the diagnosis of kala-azar, is positive in cases of lymphogranuloma inguinale presenting hyperproteinemia.
The total protein of the serum was determined by difference on 1 cc. samples, the macro-Kjeldahl technic being employed for total N and Folin's method with Nesslerization for non-protein N. Partitions were carried out in duplicate on 0.5. cc. samples by Howe's method. The formol-gel test was performed as follows: to 1 cc. of serum in a test tube (8 mm. bore is a convenient size) add 2 drops of 30–40% formaldehyde solution, mix, and allow to stand at room temperature. Normal control sera showed no change in viscosity or transparency in 24 hours.
Results. The formol-gel test was carried out on the sera of 13 cases of lymphogranuloma inguinale, all Negresses with positive Frei reactions, of whom 12 were under treatment for rectal stricture.
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