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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]
Abnormal free light chain production has also been reported to be prognostic of a worse outcome in multiple myeloma [36] [37] [38] and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. [39] An abnormal light-chain ratio has been defined as a kappa to lambda chain ratio of less than 0.26 or more than 1.65. [32]
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]
Because many organs can be affected by myeloma, the symptoms and signs vary greatly. Fatigue and bone pain are the most common symptoms at presentation. The CRAB criteria were formerly the benchmark used to establish the presence of active multiple myeloma (as opposed to an earlier, generally asymptomatic, "smoldering" form of the disease).
In practice, this is inferred by the detection of only one of the mutually exclusive antibody light chains, kappa or lambda, on the entire population of the abnormal B cells. Normal B lymphocytes consist of a stew of different antibody-producing cells, resulting in a mixture of both kappa- and lambda-expressing cells.
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.
A specially interesting method are free light chains (FLC), specially the kappa-FLCs (kFLCs). Several authors have reported that the nephelometric and ELISA FLCs determination is comparable with OCBs as markers of IgG synthesis, and kFLCs behave even better than oligoclonal bands.
They can be kappa (most of the time) or lambda. [3] The light chains can be immunoglobulin fragments or single homogeneous immunoglobulins. They are found in urine as a result of decreased kidney filtration capabilities due to kidney failure , sometimes induced by hypercalcemia from the calcium released as the bones are destroyed, dehydration ...