Objectives
The objective of this study is to evaluate the use of the immunoglobulin heavy/light chain biomarker in the early detection of biochemical relapse in patients with multiple myeloma under treatment. The immunoglobulin heavy/light chain is a test that measures the heavy chain/light chain pair of each immunoglobulin isotype, allowing for the calculation of the immunoglobulin ratios of IgGκ/IgGλ, IgAκ/IgAλ and IgMκ/IgMλ, which can be used as surrogate markers of monoclonal proliferation processes.
Design & Methods
For the study, 80 samples were selected from 40 patients with multiple myeloma, who showed evidence of biochemical relapse in the past 5 years, corresponding to two samples per patient. Heavy/light chain pairs of the monoclonal isotype were determined in the sample that showed biochemical relapse and in the previous follow-up sample. Results were compared with those from serum immunofixation, serum protein electrophoresis, and free light chains.
Results
Within the samples before biochemical relapse, which had negative serum electrophoresis and immunofixation, 18 % had an abnormal heavy/light chain ratio, 33 % had an abnormal free light chain ratio, and 40 % had at least one of these ratios altered. At the moment of biochemical relapse, i.e., samples with positive immunofixation, 43 % had positive serum protein electrophoresis, 43 % had an abnormal heavy/light chain ratio, 58 % had an abnormal free light chain ratio, and 68 % had at least one abnormal ratio.
Conclusions
The assessment of heavy/light chains and free light chains may have a beneficial impact on the early detection of biochemical relapse in patients with multiple myeloma, particularly in IgA-type MM, potentially eliminating the need for serum electrophoresis.
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