Free Lambda Light Chain Monoclonal Protein

Ife is also more sensitive than pel for detecting small abnormalities that may be present in diseases such as light chain multiple myeloma oligosecretory myeloma and plasmacytomas.

Free lambda light chain monoclonal protein.

Lambda and kappa light chains. This procedure tells you whether there is a monoclonal protein present. The approximate length of a light chain protein is from 211 to 217 amino acids. A free light chains test measures the amount of lambda and kappa free light chains in the blood.

Antibodies are made up of two parts. The first thing that s usually done in the lab is serum protein electophoresis spep. There are two types of light chains. One variable domain v l that is important for binding antigen.

One constant c l domain. Biclonal gammopathies have the same clinical findings as monoclonal gammopathies. This can be measured by the free light chain assay test on a blood specimen. Light chains are proteins produced by immune cells called plasma cells.

This is called a monoclonal protein also called m protein or m spike. This abnormal protein is formed within your bone marrow the soft blood producing tissue that fills in the center of most of your bones. Igd myeloma is rare representing 1 of all myeloma cases. If the amount of free light chains is higher or lower than normal it can mean you have a disorder of the plasma cells.

It can also detect changes in the ratio of kappa and lambda light chain production which indicates an excess of abnormal plasma cells. Ife characterizes the type of monoclonal protein gamma alpha mu delta or epsilon heavy chain. The constant region determines what class kappa or lambda the light chain is. High levels of igm suggest you may have waldenstrom s macroglobulinemia.

Heavy chains and light chains. Also called kappa and lambda light chains they link together with other proteins heavy chains to form immunoglobulins also known as antibodies that target and neutralize specific threats to the body such as bacteria and viruses. In our series igg lambda was the most common monoclonal protein accompanied by excess free light chains. When myeloma progresses the myeloma cells start to produce more light chains than heavy chains.

The most common type of m protein in myeloma is igg. There are two types of light chains called kappa and lambda. Kappa k or lambda l light chain. Each light chain is composed of two tandem immunoglobulin domains.

The most common biclonal gammopathy was igg kappa igg lambda followed by igg kappa igm lambda. The sflc assay can detect abnormal levels of free light chains which may be an indication of a plasma cell disorder.