Studies in Bisalbuminemia: Binding Properties of the Two Albumins

1. An abnormal serum protein pattern in a patient with Wegener’s granulomatosis and five of his relatives was identified as bisalbuminemia by electrophoretic and immunochemical methods.

2. With the exception of the patient with Wegener’s syndrome, the presence of bisalbuminemia was not associated with a significant change in total serum proteins, total albumin, serum components other than albumin, or any disease.

3. Addition of I¹³¹-thyroxine to bisalbumin sera resulted in thyroxine binding by albumin B but not by albumin A. The failure of albumin A to bind added I¹³¹-thyroxine leads to speculation that, in this family, neither albumin A nor B are identical to normal human serum albumin.