{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,25]],"date-time":"2025-09-25T15:29:43Z","timestamp":1758814183135,"version":"3.44.0"},"reference-count":9,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"1","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Gut"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[1990,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Low molecular weight IgM is the monomeric subunit of pentameric IgM and is not generally found in the blood of healthy individuals. Using a sensitive immunoblotting technique, low molecular weight IgM was detected in all 17 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis and constituted up to 5% of the total circulating IgM. This low molecular weight IgM moiety correlated significantly with total IgM (p less than 0.01) but not with the specific biliary cirrhosis mitochondrial autoantibody anti-M2. Furthermore it was not possible to show that a partially purified sample of low molecular weight IgM contained M2 binding activity. Mitogen stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from two of four patients were observed to secrete low molecular weight IgM in vitro, a finding seen in only one of six healthy subjects. Immunoblot analysis of patients sera revealed the presence of other oligomers of IgM in addition to low molecular weight IgM. In conclusion this study suggests that during the enhanced IgM synthesis observed in primary biliary cirrhosis a defect occurs in the assembly of the IgM pentamer with release of monomeric and oligomeric IgM into the circulation. The pathogenic significance of these circulating low molecular weight IgM species is unknown.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/gut.31.1.88","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2007,9,18]],"date-time":"2007-09-18T17:41:31Z","timestamp":1190137291000},"page":"88-91","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Low molecular weight IgM in primary biliary cirrhosis."],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"31","author":[{"given":"P J","family":"Roberts-Thomson","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"K","family":"Shepherd","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[1990,1,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"675","article-title":"Immunology of primary biliary cirrhosis. Baillieres Clin Gastroenterol","volume":"1","author":"Berg, P.A.; Klein, R.","year":"1987","unstructured":"Berg PA, Klein R. Immunology of primary biliary cirrhosis. Baillieres Clin Gastroenterol 1987; 1: 675-706."},{"key":"ref_2","article-title":"Immunochemical analysis of immunoglobulins and their sub-units","volume-title":"Handbook of experimental immunology. Vol 1","author":"Stanworth, D.R.; Turner, M.W.","year":"1978","unstructured":"Stanworth DR, Turner MW. Immunochemical analysis of immunoglobulins and their sub-units. In: Weir DM, ed. Handbook of experimental immunology. Vol 1. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1978."},{"key":"ref_3","first-page":"1","article-title":"Low molecular weight IgM in health and disease","author":"Roberts-Thomson, P.J.","year":"1988","unstructured":"Roberts-Thomson PJ. Low molecular weight IgM in health and disease. [MD Thesis]. Adelaide: University of Adelaide, 1988: 1-156."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"440","DOI":"10.1002\/art.1780140403","article-title":"7S gammaM-globulin in rheumatoid arthritis: evaluation of its clinical significance","volume":"14","author":"Stage, D.E.; Mannik, M.","year":"1971","unstructured":"Stage DE, Mannik M. 7S gammaM-globulin in rheumatoid arthritis: evaluation of its clinical significance. Arthritis Rheum 1971; 14:440.","journal-title":"Arthritis Rheum"},{"key":"ref_5","first-page":"204","article-title":"Monomeric (7S) IgM in chronic liver disease","volume":"38","author":"Fakunle, Y.M.; Aranguibel, F.; DeVilliers, D.; Thomas, H.C.; Sherlock, S.","year":"1979","unstructured":"Fakunle YM, Aranguibel F, DeVilliers D, Thomas HC, Sherlock S. Monomeric (7S) IgM in chronic liver disease. Clin Exp Immunol 1979; 38: 204.","journal-title":"Clin Exp Immunol"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"349","DOI":"10.1136\/ard.39.4.349","article-title":"Quantitation and evaluation of low molecular weight IgM in rheumatoid arthritis","volume":"39","author":"Pj, Roberts-Thomson; SH, Neoh; J, Bradley","year":"1980","unstructured":"Roberts-Thomson Pj, Neoh SH, Bradley J. Quantitation and evaluation of low molecular weight IgM in rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 1980; 39: 349-53.","journal-title":"Ann Rheum Dis"},{"key":"ref_7","first-page":"122","article-title":"Synthesis of low molecular weight IgM in vitro in rheumatoid arthritis","volume":"28","author":"Jones, D.N.; Koh, L.Y.; Bertouch, J.V.; Roberts-Thomson, P.J.","year":"1985","unstructured":"Jones DN, Koh LY, Bertouch JV, Roberts-Thomson PJ. Synthesis of low molecular weight IgM in vitro in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 1985; 28: 122-8.","journal-title":"Arthritis Rheum"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"97","DOI":"10.1016\/0022-1759(86)90056-6","article-title":"Low molecular weight IgM: detection using immunoblotting","volume":"88","author":"Harris, R.; Beckman, I.; Roberts-Thomson, P.J.","year":"1986","unstructured":"Harris R, Beckman I, Roberts-Thomson PJ. Low molecular weight IgM: detection using immunoblotting. J Immunol Methods 1986; 88: 97-100.","journal-title":"J Immunol Methods"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1345","DOI":"10.1016\/S0021-9258(18)91849-1","article-title":"Studies on antigen binding activity of macroglobulin antibody subunits and their enzymatic fragments","volume":"244","author":"Chavin, S.I.; Franklin, E.C.","year":"1969","unstructured":"Chavin SI, Franklin EC. Studies on antigen binding activity of macroglobulin antibody subunits and their enzymatic fragments. J Biol Chem 1969; 244: 1345-52.","journal-title":"J Biol Chem"}],"container-title":["Gut"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/gut.31.1.88","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,7]],"date-time":"2025-09-07T21:40:08Z","timestamp":1757281208000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/gut.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/gut.31.1.88"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[1990,1]]},"references-count":9,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[1990,1,1]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[1990,1]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/gut.31.1.88"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/gut.31.1.88","relation":{},"ISSN":["0017-5749","1468-3288"],"issn-type":[{"type":"print","value":"0017-5749"},{"type":"electronic","value":"1468-3288"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[1990,1]]}}}