Myeloma and Other Plasma Cell Disorders

Immunoglobulins are antibodies produced by B cells/Plasma cells that are made up of 2 1 3( 2, 1, 3 ) heavy chains and 2 1 3( 2, 1, 3 ) light chains

Plasma cells are characterised by their open closed( open, closed ) chromatin

Paraproteins = Monoclonal Polyclonal( Monoclonal, Polyclonal ) Immunoglobulins

Paraproteins found on Serum Electrophoresis tend to present in the Gamma Beta Albumin Alpha-1 Alpha-2( Gamma, Beta, Albumin, Alpha-1, Alpha-2 ) band

Bence Jones Protein is a monoclonal immunoglobulin light chain which is detected by urine serum bone marrow CSF( urine, serum, bone marrow, CSF ) electrophoresis

Myeloma causes renal liver heart( renal, liver, heart ) failure and increased bone breakdown blood pressure erythrocytosis sodium levels( bone breakdown, blood pressure, erythrocytosis, sodium levels )

Due to bone breakdown occurring as part of Myeloma, it also typically causes raised Calcium Sodium Potassium Phosphate( Calcium, Sodium, Potassium, Phosphate ) levels in the blood

Myeloma tends to affect those in their 60s 40s 20s teens( 60s, 40s, 20s, teens )

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) can be diagnosed when there is a paraprotein level of <30g/l <20g/l <50g/l <60g/l( <30g/l, <20g/l, <50g/l, <60g/l ) and a bone marrow plasma cell level of <10% <20% <30% <40% <50%( <10%, <20%, <30%, <40%, <50% ). There must also be no evidence of any end organ damage (e.g. renal failure, bone marrow failure, etc)

Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinaemia is a condition which characteristically involves IgM IgG IgA IgE IgD( IgM, IgG, IgA, IgE, IgD ) Paraproteins