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A series of studies, principally from the Mayo Clinic, have indicated that patients with an abnormal free kappa to free lambda ratio have an increased risk of progression to active myeloma from precursor conditions including monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), [32] [33] smouldering myeloma [34] and solitary plasmacytoma ...
Normal B lymphocytes consist of a stew of different antibody-producing cells, resulting in a mixture of both kappa- and lambda-expressing cells. The lack of the normal distribution of these B cells is one basis for demonstrating clonality , the key element for establishing a diagnosis of any B cell malignancy (B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma ). [ 58 ]
Once set, light chain class remains fixed for the life of the B lymphocyte. In a healthy individual, the total kappa-to-lambda ratio is roughly 2:1 in serum (measuring intact whole antibodies) or 1:1.5 if measuring free light chains, with a highly divergent ratio indicative of neoplasm. The free light chain ratio ranges from 0.26 to 1.65. [1]
AL amyloidosis is caused by the deposition of abnormal antibody free light chains. The abnormal light chains are produced by monoclonal plasma cells, and, although AL amyloidosis can occur without diagnosis of another disorder, it is often associated with other plasma cell disorders, such as multiple myeloma and Waldenström's macroglobulinemia. [6]
Light chain deposition disease can affect any organ. [3] Renal involvement is always present and can be identified by microscopic hematuria and proteinuria.Due to the gradual buildup of light chains from plasma filtration, renal function rapidly declines in the majority of patients with LCDD as either acute tubulointerstitial nephritis or rapidly progressing glomerulonephritis.
In a Mayo Clinic study, for example, AL amyloidosis assigned stage 1, 2, 3, or 4 based on the presence of 0, 1, 2, or 3 prognostic signs (high blood levels of [cardiac troponin T]), blood levels of a marker for congestive heart failure (viz., NT-ProBNP), or free light chain ratios) had median survivals of 94.1, 40.3, 14, and 5.8 months ...
Bone pain affects almost 70% of people with multiple myeloma and is one of the most common symptoms. [2]: 653 [23] Myeloma bone pain usually involves the spine and ribs and worsens with activity. Persistent, localized pain may indicate a pathological bone fracture. Involvement of the vertebrae may lead to spinal cord compression or kyphosis.
High-resolution electrophoresis and serum and urine immunofixation are recommended to help identify and characterize the monoclonal IgM paraprotein. The light chain of the monoclonal protein is usually the kappa light chain. At times, patients with Waldenström macroglobulinemia may exhibit more than one M protein. Plasma viscosity must be ...