Idiopathic paraproteinemia - A consequence of an age-related deficiency in the T immune system. Three-stage development - a hypothesis
article
On the basis of clinical studies and recent experiments in animals, a hypothesis on the development of idiopathic paraproteinemia stages is presented. During aging, involution of the thymus and a genetically determined selective decline in certain T-cell populations lead to an impairment of the T-cell functions. The extent and the progression of these changes may be influenced by some extrinsic factors. Consequently, cooperation with and control of B cells by the T cells becomes impaired. Restriction of heterogeneity of the immune response and excessive clonal expansions with an overshoot production of homogeneous immunoglobulins-antibodies appear as a result of this imbalance in the immune system network. The repeated mono- or oligoclonal expansions result in a higher probability for either a spontaneous or a virus-induced mutation of the regulatory genes within a given B-cell clone. In that way, a monoclonal proliferation and paraprotein production would continue, even without antigenic stimulation. This intrinsic defect in cell regulation is, however, a different one from that seen in B-cell malignancies.
Chemicals/CAS: Paraproteins
Chemicals/CAS: Paraproteins
Topics
TNO Identifier
228721
ISSN
00901229
Source
Clinical Immunology and Immunopathology, 14(2), pp. 251-255.
Pages
251-255
Files
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