Free light chains and heavy/light chains in monitoring POEMS patients
-
Sara Altinier
,
Kozeta Proko
Abstract
Background: POEMS syndrome is defined by Polyneuropathy, Organomegaly, Endocrinopathy, Monoclonal gammopathy and Skin changes. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) appears to play a key role in the pathogenesis of the syndrome, and its concentrations are deemed to correlate to disease activity. The aim of the present study was to verify whether other biochemical markers including serum free light chains (FLC) and heavy/light chains (HLC) would be of value in monitoring POEMS patients.
Methods: Fifty-three serum samples were collected from seven POEMS patients at diagnosis and during a follow-up period (range 14–56 months). VEGF was measured using an ELISA method, while FLC and HLC concentrations were measured using Binding Site reagents on a BNII (Siemens) nephelometer.
Results: At diagnosis all patients presented high VEGF concentrations, while the κ/λFLC ratio (FLCr) was within the reference range. Four patients had abnormal HLC, HLCκ/HLCλ (HLCr) and FLC values. The relationship between the trend of VEGF and both HLC and FLC during the follow-up was analysed by means of Cohen’s κ coefficient. VEGF and HLC values displayed a significant κ-Cohen (0.537, p=0.002) in all chemotherapy-responder patients while in non-responders it did not. Conversely, in both responders and non-responders, VEGF and FLC values did not attain a significance on κ-Cohen analysis. In three out of four responders HLCr values increased, thus reflecting an improved clinical condition.
Conclusions: The findings made in the present study indicate that HLC, either as intact immunoglobulin or as HLCr, may provide useful information, particularly in identifying responders and confirm that the role of FLC is unreliable in monitoring patients with POEMS syndrome.
References
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©2016 by De Gruyter
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Protein electrophoresis and serum free light chains in the diagnosis and monitoring of plasma cell disorders: laboratory testing and current controversies
- Laboratory Testing as Recommended by the Guidelines and the International Myeloma Working Group
- Laboratory testing requirements for diagnosis and follow-up of multiple myeloma and related plasma cell dyscrasias
- Free light chain testing for the diagnosis, monitoring and prognostication of AL amyloidosis
- Laboratory testing in monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance (MGRS)
- The impact of renal function on the clinical performance of FLC measurement in AL amyloidosis
- Serum and Urine Protein Electrophoresis and Immunofixation Testing
- Challenges of measuring monoclonal proteins in serum
- Screening immunofixation should replace protein electrophoresis as the initial investigation of monoclonal gammopathy: Point
- Should routine laboratories stop doing screening serum protein electrophoresis and replace it with screening immune-fixation electrophoresis? No quick fixes: Counterpoint
- Moving towards harmonized reporting of serum and urine protein electrophoresis
- Multiple qualitative and quantitative methods for free light chain analysis are necessary as first line tests for AL amyloidosis
- Use of isoelectric focusing to discriminate transient oligoclonal bands from monoclonal protein in treated myeloma
- New patterns of relapse in multiple myeloma: a case of “light chain escape” in which FLC predicted relapse earlier than urine and serum immunofixation
- Serum Free Light Chain Methods and Controversies
- Analytical issues of serum free light chain assays and the relative performance of polyclonal and monoclonal based reagents
- Measurement of free light chains with assays based on monoclonal antibodies
- Measurement of free light chains – pros and cons of current methods
- Is accuracy of serum free light chain measurement achievable?
- Performance goals for immunoglobulins and serum free light chain measurements in plasma cell dyscrasias can be based on biological variation
- A patient with AL amyloidosis with negative free light chain results
- Strengths and weaknesses of methods for identifying monoclonal free light chains of Ig: examples from two cases with renal disease
- Comparison of Freelite™ and N Latex serum free light chain assays in subjects with end stage kidney disease on haemodialysis
- New Laboratory Assays and Challenges
- Quantification of β-region IgA monoclonal proteins – should we include immunochemical Hevylite® measurements? Point
- Quantification of β region IgA paraproteins – should we include immunochemical “heavy/light chain” measurements? Counterpoint
- Free light chains and heavy/light chains in monitoring POEMS patients
- Monitoring free light chains in serum using mass spectrometry
- Monoclonal antibody therapeutics as potential interferences on protein electrophoresis and immunofixation
- Monitoring multiple myeloma patients treated with daratumumab: teasing out monoclonal antibody interference
- Interference of daratumumab in monitoring multiple myeloma patients using serum immunofixation electrophoresis can be abrogated using the daratumumab IFE reflex assay (DIRA)
- Letter to the Editor
- Discrepancy between FLC assays: only a problem of quantification?
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Protein electrophoresis and serum free light chains in the diagnosis and monitoring of plasma cell disorders: laboratory testing and current controversies
- Laboratory Testing as Recommended by the Guidelines and the International Myeloma Working Group
- Laboratory testing requirements for diagnosis and follow-up of multiple myeloma and related plasma cell dyscrasias
- Free light chain testing for the diagnosis, monitoring and prognostication of AL amyloidosis
- Laboratory testing in monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance (MGRS)
- The impact of renal function on the clinical performance of FLC measurement in AL amyloidosis
- Serum and Urine Protein Electrophoresis and Immunofixation Testing
- Challenges of measuring monoclonal proteins in serum
- Screening immunofixation should replace protein electrophoresis as the initial investigation of monoclonal gammopathy: Point
- Should routine laboratories stop doing screening serum protein electrophoresis and replace it with screening immune-fixation electrophoresis? No quick fixes: Counterpoint
- Moving towards harmonized reporting of serum and urine protein electrophoresis
- Multiple qualitative and quantitative methods for free light chain analysis are necessary as first line tests for AL amyloidosis
- Use of isoelectric focusing to discriminate transient oligoclonal bands from monoclonal protein in treated myeloma
- New patterns of relapse in multiple myeloma: a case of “light chain escape” in which FLC predicted relapse earlier than urine and serum immunofixation
- Serum Free Light Chain Methods and Controversies
- Analytical issues of serum free light chain assays and the relative performance of polyclonal and monoclonal based reagents
- Measurement of free light chains with assays based on monoclonal antibodies
- Measurement of free light chains – pros and cons of current methods
- Is accuracy of serum free light chain measurement achievable?
- Performance goals for immunoglobulins and serum free light chain measurements in plasma cell dyscrasias can be based on biological variation
- A patient with AL amyloidosis with negative free light chain results
- Strengths and weaknesses of methods for identifying monoclonal free light chains of Ig: examples from two cases with renal disease
- Comparison of Freelite™ and N Latex serum free light chain assays in subjects with end stage kidney disease on haemodialysis
- New Laboratory Assays and Challenges
- Quantification of β-region IgA monoclonal proteins – should we include immunochemical Hevylite® measurements? Point
- Quantification of β region IgA paraproteins – should we include immunochemical “heavy/light chain” measurements? Counterpoint
- Free light chains and heavy/light chains in monitoring POEMS patients
- Monitoring free light chains in serum using mass spectrometry
- Monoclonal antibody therapeutics as potential interferences on protein electrophoresis and immunofixation
- Monitoring multiple myeloma patients treated with daratumumab: teasing out monoclonal antibody interference
- Interference of daratumumab in monitoring multiple myeloma patients using serum immunofixation electrophoresis can be abrogated using the daratumumab IFE reflex assay (DIRA)
- Letter to the Editor
- Discrepancy between FLC assays: only a problem of quantification?
