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Recommendations for the Nomenclature of Human Immunoglobulins¹

Terminology for immunoglobulin molecules. Following a proposal made in 1964,² two symbols (Ig and ) have been used interchangeably to designate human or animal immunoglobulins. Although it was pointed out that Ig is a logical symbol for immunoglobulins, the symbol was retained as an acceptable substitute, mainly in view of the tradition that had long associated it with the immunoglobulins.

In recent years there has been a trend among editors and authors to give increasing preference to the symbol Ig. A major reason for dissatisfaction with the existing dual terminology, Ig and , is that the symbol is also employed to designate the heavy polypeptide chains of a particular class of immunoglobulins.

It is therefore proposed to discontinue the use of the symbol for the term immunoglobulin and to apply to designate exclusively the heavy chains of immunoglobulin G (IgG). Symbols such as Gl, D, etc., should be replaced by IgGl, IgD, etc.

Footnotes

¹ The revised nomenclature has been developed by a Subcommittee for Human Immunoglobulins of the IUIS Nomenclature Committee. This Subcommittee consisted of: Dr. J. D. Capra, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, N. Y. 10029, U. S. A.; Dr. M. O. Dayhoff, National Biomedical Research Foundation, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D. C. 20007, U. S. A.; Dr. H. H. Fudenberg, University of California Medical Center, San Francisco, California 94122, U. S. A.; Dr. J. F. heremans, University of Louvain, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium; Dr. N. Hilschmann, Max-Planck-Institute, 3400 Gottingen, Federal Republic of Germany; Dr. L. E. Hood, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91109, U. S. A.; Dr. C. Milstein, University Postgraduate Medical School, Cambridge CB2 2QH, England; Dr. Elliott Osserman, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, N. Y. 10032, U. S. A.; Dr. F. W. Putnam, (Chairman), Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, U. S. A.; Dr. D. S. Rowe, WHO International Reference Centre for Immunoglobulins, Institute of Biochemistry, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland; Dr. A. Solomon, University of Tennessee Memorial Research Center and Hospital, Knoxville, Tennessee 37920, U. S. A.; Dr. W. D. Terry, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20014, U. S. A.; Dr. G. Torrigiani, Immunology Unit, World Health Organization, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.

The final draft was developed after receiving additional suggestions from colleagues who had assisted in reaching agreement on the earlier nomenclatures published in 1964 and 1969. The report of the Subcommittee has been reviewed and approved by the Nomenclature Committee of the IUIS.

² Bull. W.H.O., 30: 447–450, 1964.