A new immunoglobulin A abnormality, absence of assembly of alpha-chain and light-chain, was found in an adult female suffering from recurrent upper respiratory infection and tonsillitis since childhood, but otherwise healthy. The IgA abnormality was manifest in her serum by the presence of free alpha-chains, in her saliva by the presence of alpha-chains bound to secretory piece, and in her urin...

Bence-Jones proteinuria refers to urinary excretion of monoclonal light chains. It results from exclusive production of one light chain, or the unbalanced synthesis of heavy and light chains, with the latter being in excess. Free Kor A-light chains are therefore excreted alone or in addition to complete immunoglobulin molecules carrying the same light chain type. Free light chains are low molec...

1. Pattenden RJ, Rogers SY, Wenham PR. Serum free light chains; the need to establish local reference intervals. Ann Clin Biochem 2007; 44:512–5. 2. Piehler AP, Gulbrandsen N, Kierulf P, Urdal P. Quantitation of serum free light chains in combination with protein electrophoresis and clinical information for diagnosing multiple myeloma in a general hospital population. Clin Chem 2008;54: 1823–30...

The basic immunoglobulin subunit consists of two heavy and two light chains held together by covalent disulphide bonds. In most cases of myeloma and Waldenstrom's disease there is an excess synthesis of light over heavy chains, resulting in Bence Jones proteinaemia and proteinuria. Furthermore, in some cases ("light chain disease"), there is absence of detectable heavy chain synthesis, and the ...

under usual artificial light conditions, and storage of unproc-essed whole blood without antico-agulants at room temperature on the bench. Additionally, we tested the effect of multiple freeze-thaw cycles. 25(OH)–vitamin D 3 measurements were performed on a Cobas E601 an-alyzer (Roche), using the vitamin D 3 (25-OH) assay as recommended by the manufacturer. Samples from each storage experiment ...

Monoclonal free light chains are found in the serum and urine of patients with B-cell proliferative disorders, including multiple myeloma. Measuring free light chains in serum is useful for the diagnosis and monitoring of free light chains diseases. Moreover it could be interesting in the monitoring of treated multiple myeloma with complete immunoglobulin and of monoclonal gammapathy of undeter...