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Free light chains (FLCs) are immunoglobulin light chains that are found in the serum (blood) in an unbound (free) state. In recent decades, measuring the amount of free light chains (FLCs) in the blood has become a practical clinical test. FLC tests can be used to diagnose and monitor diseases like multiple myeloma and amyloidosis.
Light chain deposition disease (LCDD) is a rare blood cell disease which is characterized by deposition of fragments of infection-fighting immunoglobulins, called light chains (LCs), in the body. LCs are normally cleared by the kidneys, but in LCDD, these light chain deposits damage organs and cause disease.
Serum free light chain measurement is positive in 100% of cases, evidence that the underlying monoclonal plasma cells secrete free light chains as well as heavy chains. [2] [4] HCDD is associated with multiple myeloma in 29% of cases. [2] Deposition of complement protein C3 (and sometimes Cq1) may also be seen in HCDD. [2]
[26] [27] The most common cause of kidney failure in multiple myeloma is due to proteins secreted by the malignant cells. Myeloma cells produce monoclonal proteins of varying types, most commonly immunoglobulins (antibodies) and free light chains, resulting in abnormally high levels of these proteins in the blood. Depending on the size of these ...
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]
Monoclonal free light chains, free heavy chains, or a mixture of these chains can deposit in the kidney and other organs to cause systemic monoclonal immunoglobulin deposition disease; free κ or λ light chains can deposit selectively in the kidney's proximal tubule to cause light chain proximal tubulopathy or in the kidney's distal tubule to ...
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]
Heavy chains only (also known as "heavy chain disease"); Whole immunoglobulins. If immunoglobulins tend to precipitate within blood vessels with cold, that phenomenon takes the name of cryoglobulinaemia. The three types of paraproteins may occur alone or in combination in a given individual.