title: Monoclonal gammopathy in a tertiary referral hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Monoclonal gammopathies reflect conditions of plasma B-cell disorders. Our objective was to identify the prevalence and types of these gammopathies in our population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 10year retrospective study was conducted. Serum and/or urine protein electrophoresis were performed on 6624 samples. Positive bands were further tested by immunofixation (IFE).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Homogenous bands were detected in 7% of the patients. IFE method confirmed 6.3% in which 59% were males and 41% were females. The mean age was 64.7 for females and 66.5 for males. The sensitivity and specificity were 91% and 99% respectively. The most common protein was IgG kappa 41%, followed by IgG lambda 19%. Sixty-eight percent of these patients had monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and 14.6% had multiple myeloma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of the studied population had MGUS. This observation is in concord with other western populations. The sensitivity and specificity of protein electrophoresis is diagnostically and reasonably acceptable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. tamimiw@ngha.med.sa
authors.forename: Waleed
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tamimi
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alaskar
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alassiri
authors.forename: Waleed
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Alsaeed
authors.forename: Saud A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Alarifi
authors.forename: Faris Q
authors.initials: FQ
authors.lastname: Alenzi
authors.forename: Dunia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jawdat
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004586:Electrophoresis; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000097:blood; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008998:Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance / Q000453:epidemiology; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000453:epidemiology; D010265:Paraproteinemias / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains