Further structural and antigenic studies of light-chain amyloid proteins

The major subunit protein of amyloid fibrils (758) isolated from a patient with systemic amyloidosis and studied by N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis was found to be almost identical to the sequence of a V lambda IV Bence-Jones protein and a previously described A lambda IV amyloid protein. The two A lambda IV amyloid proteins showed strong antigenic cross-reaction, appearing as antigenic identity in double immunodiffusion tests using anti-A lambda IV antiserum raised against one or the other of the two proteins. In addition, another new A lambda V amyloid fibril protein (R.S.) showed strong amino acid sequence homology and antigenic identity in double immunodiffusions with the prototype of the A lambda V subgroup (the AR protein). Finally, 20 primary or myeloma-associated amyloid proteins were characterized using antisera against the AA and several Ig light-chain-derived amyloid proteins.