Unit:
Τομέας ΠαθολογίαςLibrary of the School of Health Sciences
Author:
Κουλιέρης Ευστάθιος
Dissertation committee:
Παναγιώτης Παναγιωτίδης,Μαρία-Χριστίνα Κυρτσώνη, Αθανάσιος-Μελέτιος Δημόπουλος
Original Title:
Διερεύνηση της πιθανής κλινικής, βιολογικής και προγνωστικής σημασίας της παρουσίας αμιγώς μονοκλωνικής ανοσοσφαιρίνης στις πλασματοκυτταρικές δυσκρασίες και τα β-λεμφουπερπλαστικά νοσήματα
Summary:
The immunoglobulins are produced by terminally differentiated B lymphocytes and
participate in the primary and secondary immune response. Plasma cell
dyscrasias and B Lymphoproliferative disorders are main disorders where a
monoclonal immunoglobulin may be found. In many of these entities we find
reduced levels of polyclonal antibodies. In the present thesis we studied
patients with Multiple Myeloma at diagnosis and during follow up, others with
Waldenstrom's
Macroglobulinemia at diagnosis, as well as patients with Chronic Lymphocytic
Leukemia and Marginal Zone Lymphoma. The aim was to investigate the impact of
the produced immunoglobulins in the pathogenesis and the clinical behavior of
the aforementioned diseases. The levels og the Igs were measured with classical
nephelometry as well as with the new Hevylite method,that determines the
monoclonal Ig(HLC) and the polyclonal Ig of the same class and allows thw
calculation of the ratio monoclonal/polyclonal of the same class (HLCR). In all
the diseases studied we found that the HLC and the ratio HLCR were correlated
with disease parameters and in some of them they also provide prognostic
information. Furthermore we studied the cytokines soluble-Syndecan-1, BLys and
TGF-β1 in relation to the above mentioned diseases and the production of
immunoglobulins. We found them to correlate with disease parameters reflecting
tumor burden abd the production of monoclonal and polyclonal Igs. Our results
are highly suggestive that these cytokines and the determination of
immunoglobulins with these new methods provide useful information for the
clinical, biological and prognostic purposes.
Keywords:
Hevylite, myeloma, Waldenstrom, CLL, Lymphoma
Number of index pages:
6-7
Number of references:
108
