The genetically determined serum hepatoglobins in rheumatoid arthritis

SERUM HAPTOGLOBINS IN HAEMOLYTIC STATES

Serum haptoglobin levels have been studied in patients with a number of haemolytic disorders. In general, serum haptoglobins were low in patients with increased haemolysis. Values were reduced irrespective of whether haemolysis occurred intravascularly or extravascularly. The reduction was related to the amount of haemoglobin destroyed per day. Serum haptoglobins may be raised in certain neoplasms and infections and during adrenocortical steroid hormone therapy. A rise in haptoglobins due to one of these factors may mask a fall due to haemolysis. Thus a normal or raised serum haptoglobin does not necessarily exclude a haemolytic process.

A simple method for the determination of serum haptoglobins

Changes in the serum haptoglobin level have been reported in certain forms of anaemia (Allison and ap Rees, 1957; Allison, 1958; Nosslin and Nyman, 1958; Nyman, Gydell, and Nosslin, 1959), in hepatobiliary disease (Owen, Mackay, and Got, 1959) and in various inflammatory and chronic diseases (Jayle and Boussier, 1955; Allison and Blumberg, 1958). A simple colorimetric procedure for the determination of serum haptoglobins is presented. It is based on the peroxidase activity of haptoglobin-methaemoglobin complexes.

Haptoglobin types in patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

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CONFIRMATION OF PLASMA PROTEIN CHANGES IN AVIAN ERYTHROBLASTOSIS

Alterations of the plasma proteins have been previously demonstrated in avian erythroblastosis by paper and now by starch gel electrophoresis. With the latter technique, eight protein zones are recognized in normal plasmas. Heparin contributes an additional non-staining zone. In leukemic plasmas two more zones occur while another zone shows significant retardation.Heparin is not responsible for these changes because they are also observed in oxalated plasmas, but there is evidence of increased binding of heparin in leukemic plasma.