Serum free light chain assay reduces the need for serum and urine immunofixation electrophoresis in the evaluation of monoclonal gammopathy

摘要

Monoclonal gammopathies (MGs) include multiple myeloma, Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, asymptomatic myeloma, AL-amyloidosis, light chain deposition disease and MGs of undetermined significance. Conventionally, MGs are routinely detected qualitatively by serum electrophoresis. Today, serum and urine samples from patients with suspected B-cell malignancy are investigated using more sensitive electrophoretic techniques and different immunoassays to look for the presence of monoclonal proteins, to identify and to quantify the heavy and/or light chain types of the monoclonal proteins.