A new approach to the determining immunoglobulin free light chains in serum by TIA nephelometry

Abstract

Immunoglobulin light chains exist in two distinct forms, as linked to heavy chains by disulfide bonds, and as free light chains (FLc). Neoplastic B-cell disorders are responsible for the major absolute elevations of FLc, which are almost all monoclonal. Free light chains are nephrotoxic, and patients with renal failure have elevated blood concentrations of FLc. Light chains of immunoglobulins have attracted clinical attention as one of the proteins constituting the amyloid fibrils. Moreover, the concept of light chain deposition disease as independent entity has recently been advocated. In these circumstances TIA nephelometry using commercially available antibodies has been developed for the quantitation of both free kappa and lambda light chains of immunoglobulins in serum. This method is simple and rapid, and enable to analyze a large number of samples at a time, thus the method may be proved to be useful in clinical practice.