IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL EXAMINATION OF LIGHT-CHAIN EXPRESSION (LAMBDA KAPPA RATIO) IN CANINE, FELINE, EQUINE, BOVINE AND PORCINE PLASMA-CELLS/

Five species of domestic animals were examined immunohistochemically a nd the light-chain ratios of the immunoglobulins produced by plasma ce lls analysed. Forty dogs, 11 cats, 10 horses, 11 cattle and 14 pigs we re tested using the sequential indirect immunoperoxidase and immunopho sphatase methods. Tissues from the tonsils, spleen and cen icai lymph nodes were analysed. It could be seen that the lambda/kappa ratio in d ogs, cats, horses and cattle is largely dominated by the lambda chains (lambda/kappa ratio in dogs: 91/9 %, in cats: 92/8 %; in horses: 94/4 %; in cattle: 91/9 %). A more or less balanced ratio was observed onl y in the case of the pigs (52/48 %).