High Free Kappa And Lambda Light Chains

In general the higher the free light chains the more aggressive the disease is.

High free kappa and lambda light chains.

Lambda and kappa light chains. Free light chains exist freely in the bloodstream until they deposit in the organs as amyloid fibrils which then cause organ damage. The detection of urinary monoclonal kappa or lambda free light chains of immunoglobulin also know as bence jones proteins bjp are important for. A lower proportion of kappa lcd patients 15 7 than lambda lcd patients 42 2 died within.

A free light chains test measures the amount of lambda and kappa free light chains in the blood. In patients with light chain myeloma either of light chain kappa or lambda is dominantly produced and resulting in marked changes of the flc κ λ ratio in the early phase of the disease. Normal test results for free light chains are. Polymeric forms of both types of free light chain can also occur.

In normal individuals free light chains are rapidly cleared from the blood and catabolised by the kidneys. In the context of mgus or myeloma significantly increased free light chain production and a markedly abnormal kappa lambda ratio indicate an increased risk of disease progression. There are two types of light chains. Kappa free light chains are normally monomeric while lambda free light chains tend to be dimeric joined by disulphide bonds.

0 26 to 1 65 ratio of kappa lambda. These unlinked chains are known as free light chains. Each of these immunoglobulins have a light chain like kappa or lambda and a heavy chain like igg iga igm etc. Under normal circumstances concentrations of both kappa and lambda light chains are very low in the bloodstream.

Increased lambda free light chains and a decreased kappa lambda ratio may be seen with plasma cell disorders that produce excess monoclonal lambda light chains. 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. Therefore the serum free light chain test is a better predictor of outcome than the amount of m protein in the blood. There are two different types of light chain.

Ninety seven patients with light chain disease lcd were studied. There are two types of light chains. If the amount of free light chains is higher or lower than normal it can mean you have a disorder of the plasma cells. The median survival from diagnosis was 30 mo for 52 patients with kappa lcd and 10 mo for 45 patients with lambda lcd p less than 0 0007.

One of the key markers that myeloma doctors pay attention to are 1 the involved light chain for your type of myeloma kappa or lambda and 2 the kappa lambda light chain ratio. Kappa k chains lambda l or λ chains. 3 3 to 19 4 mg l kappa free light chains. The test measures the levels of specific types of free light chains known as kappa and lambda and also the ratio between the two.