Reappraisal of relative frequency of monoclonal immunoglobulins.
Among 20,158 patients studied we detected 107 cases of primary and 84 cases of secondary plasma-cell dyscrasia (PCD). A strikingly high frequency of IgD myeloma was observed. The most common disease associated with the secondary cases was chronic hepatitis/liver cirrhosis. Monoclonal immunoglobulins have many special physicochemical properties which could easily escape detection or defy proper interpretation. It is speculated that the relative frequency of monoclonal immunoglobulins, both H chain class and L chain type, does not reflect the physiological serum level.
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000032:analysis*; D001797:Blood Protein Electrophoresis; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000032:analysis*; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000276:immunology; D010265:Paraproteinemias / Q000276:immunology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007136:Immunoglobulins