[ Polyclonal gammopathy in children with infectious mononucleosis (author's transl)]

Serum proteins and immunoglobulins were investigated in children with infectious mononucleosis. The results were as follows: 1. Most striking changes in serum protein patterns were increased levels of immunoglobulins. The resulting gammopathies are of symmetric and/or asymmetric type with a beta-gamma bridge.--2. Increased levels of immunoglobulins included all principal immunoglobulin classes IgG, IgM and IgA.--3. Polyclonal gammopathy in infectious mononucleosis did neither reflect the intensity of hepatic involvement nor was a sign for persisting or progressive hepatitis.--4. The type of gammopathies found seems to justify those clinicians, who did not consider to be usefull the application of gammaglobulin in the course of infectious mononucleosis. 5. Suggestion. If it is correct to assume according to Benyeschel-Melnick et al., that the raised production of antibodies in infectious monucleosis limits the further course of the disease, and is the defense against the development of leukemia, it would be necessary to reevaluate the application of corticoid therapy in infectious mononucleosis. This therapy should be reserved for life threatening complciations only.