Raised levels of an unknown beta globulin in the serum of patients with non-specific urethritis and Reiter's disease.

1971), hypersensitivity of the mucosa of the male urethra to antigens in the vaginal secretions of the female consort has been postulated as the mechanism of non-specific urethritis (NSU) (Weston, 1965). Precipitin tests show reactions not only between the urethral discharge of the patient and his consort's serum but also between the consort's vaginal secretions and the patient's serum. These cross-reactions indicate that the same antigens and antibodies are present in both partners. Precipitating antibodies suggest an infectious aetiology rather than either immediate or delayed hypersensitivity which usually can be detected only by skin tests. The immunoglobulins in the sera ofnormal subjects and of patients with NSU or gonorrhoea have also been compared by means of precipitin tests (Scott and Rasbridge, 1972). The mean levels of IgM, IgG, and IgA are significantly higher in patients than in controls, but the differences are not sufficiently consistent to be of diagnostic value. However, the similarity of the antibody changes in patients with gonorrhoea and in those with NSU suggests that the latter is also due to an infection. Bacterial infections not only stimulate the production of gamma globulins but are also responsible for elevated levels of alpha and beta globulins in human sera. Therefore, a comparison has been made of chromatograms of the proteins in the sera of normal subjects and of patients with either non-specific urethritis, gonococcal urethritis, or Reiter's disease. The results are reported in this paper. Only white male patients whose clinical histories were known personally to the investigators were selected for this study. The patients with gonorrhoea had not suffered from NSU or Reiter's disease and had acute infections which were confirmed in the laboratory; they did not develop post-gonococcal urethritis. Ph.D. students and technicians volunteered as controls. The controls and patients with gonorrhoea, NSU, and Reiter's disease were in a similar age group of 22 to 36 years. ANTISERA The specific hyperimmune antisera to human alpha,, acid glycoprotein, haptoglobulin, and antitrypsin were available commercially (Behring Diagnostics, Somerville, New Jersey). The techniques recommended by Williams and Chase (1967) for the production of antisera to sera and serum fractions were employed. The antiserum to human serum was obtained by repeatedly injecting rabbits intravenously with pooled normal human sera while antisera to human urine was prepared as follows: Normal urine was dialysed against water and centrifuged. Then, the super-natant was decanted and lyophilized. The lyophilized urine powder was dissolved in …