Abstract
The levels of serum β2-microglobulin (β2μ) in multiple myeloma and other related disease were studied by the double antibody Mancini's method which offered an unique combination of single radial immunodiffusion and the double antibody method for the microdetermination of β2μ.
Serum β2μ levels in multiple myeloma were elevated to a considerable extent, and the same results were obtained in leukemia, malignant lymphoma, SLE and/or solid tumors. This suggests the possibility that in these cases relatively higher levels of serum β2μ may be presumably related to the active production of β2μ in vivo. However, since serum β2μ levels show a tendency to increase significantly in parallel with the serum creatinine levels in the cases of multiple myeloma and solid tumors as well as in the cases of renal disease, changes of serum β2μ levels should be carefully evaluated in comparison with the renal function in cancer patients.
In the cases of CML or gastric cancer serum β2μ levels appeared to be changeable from stage to stage, and a discussion was made in relation to its possible mechanism.
