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Amichai Schattner, MD
Tufts University School of Medicine Boston

JAMA. 1985;253(1):43-44.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.—

The article by Zolla-Pazner et al¹ impressively demonstrates the value of a simple determination—β₂M in serum—as a useful adjunct to the diagnosis of AIDS and for evaluating early suspected cases and members of populations at risk. The authors point out that increased serum β₂M levels are by no means specific to AIDS and can be found in various other diseases, notably autoimmune diseases and viral infections. However, they fail to consider the possible significance of interferon, levels of which often are increased in these conditions as well_2,3 and may be causally related to the elevated β₂M levels observed.

Interferons are now known to have varied and extensive immunomodulatory effects. Important among them is a marked and rapid increase of the surface histocompatibility antigens and of their subunit—the β₂M.⁴ β₂-Microglobulin has been shown to increase . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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