Elevated Kappa Light Chains Without Monoclonal Gammopathy

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance mgus is a condition in which an abnormal protein known as monoclonal protein or m protein is in your blood.

Elevated kappa light chains without monoclonal gammopathy.

Light chain myeloma sometimes called bence jones myeloma. In a minority of cases only light chains without heavy chains are produced. By definition patients with mgus have a serum m protein less than 30 g. This is called a monoclonal protein also called m protein or m spike.

She told me not to worry and we ll check again in 3 months. This protein is called monoclonal protein or m protein. 1 the hallmark of mgus is the presence of a monoclonal immunoglobulin in the serum commonly referred to as a monoclonal m protein. They only produce part of the immunoglobulin called the light chain.

What else should i ask answered by dr. The light chains can show up in the urine. Heavy chains and light chains. About 20 out of 100 people with myeloma 20 do not produce complete immunoglobulins.

Hence the need to consider urine testing when clearly suspecting a monoclonal gammopathy. When myeloma progresses the myeloma cells start to produce more light chains than heavy chains. Mgus short for monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance is a condition that causes the body to create an abnormal protein. Told me my kappa light chain is elevated at 26.

Light chain only monoclonal gammopathy are often barely visible in serum but may show as large amounts of monoclonal light chains excreted in the urine. A polyclonal gammopathy is characterized by a broad diffuse band with one or more heavy chains and kappa and lambda light chains 7. Light chain mgus was defined later and is diagnosed upon fulfillment of certain criteria that are stated below. This abnormal protein is formed within your bone marrow the soft blood producing tissue that fills in the center of most of your bones.

The presence of an abnormal free light chain flc ratio ie ratio of kappa to lambda free light chains 0 26 or 1 65. Among patients with immunoglobin m igm mgus 15 the presence of two adverse risk factors an abnormal serum free light chain ratio ratio of kappa to lambda free light chains and a high. There are 2 types of light chains called kappa and lambda. Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance mgus is a premalignant plasma cell proliferative disorder found in approximately 3 of the general population 50 years of age and older.

This can be measured by the free light chain assay test on a blood specimen.