What is monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance?

What is monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance?

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is a condition in which an abnormal protein — known as monoclonal protein or M protein — is in your blood. This abnormal protein is formed within your bone marrow, the soft, blood-producing tissue that fills in the center of most of your bones.

What does MGUS mean?

A benign condition in which there is a higher-than-normal level of a protein called M protein in the blood. Patients with MGUS are at an increased risk of developing cancer. Also called monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance.

What is light chain deposition disease?

Overview. Light chain deposition disease (LCDD) is a rare condition characterized by the deposition of specific proteins (monoclonal light chains) in the kidneys and other organs. Light chains are used to make antibodies that the body needs to fight infection.

Is MGUS anything to worry about?

MGUS isn’t always a cause for concern and may not cause adverse health effects. But by the nature of its significance being undetermined, doctors have to watch it to find out. Sometimes, healthy cells in the bone marrow can get crowded out by dividing plasma cells, which may cause an elevated M protein.

What are the signs of MGUS?

Symptoms of monoclonal gammopathies vary among these conditions, but can include:

• Anemia or low red blood cells counts.
• Lack of energy (fatigue) or tiredness.
• Weakness.
• Pain in the bones or soft tissues.
• Tingling or numbness in the feet or hands.
• Infection that keeps coming back.
• Increased bruising.
• Bleeding.

Is there a cure for light chain disease?

There is no standard treatment for patients with LCDD. Chemotherapy with alkylating agents and steroids has shown modest results. High-dose melphalan (HDM) with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) has been used in some patients and has led to improvement of renal function.

How long can you live with light chain disease?

Median survival for patients with light-chain deposition disease (LCDD) is about 4 years. The largest series published so far has reported after a median follow-up of 27 months; 57% of patients developed uremia and 59% of patients died.

Can MGUS cause a stroke?

Approximately 20–40% of patients with MGUS have acute or chronic kidney failure, thyroid disorders, disc disorders, peripheral neuropathy, myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure during the follow-up period.

Should I worry about MGUS?

MGUS does not usually need treatment as it rarely causes any symptoms. In most people, MGUS remains stable and never causes any problems. There is a small risk of MGUS developing into a cancer, such as myeloma or lymphoma. If this happens, it can cause certain symptoms.

How is light chain disease diagnosed?

Diagnosis of light-chain deposition disease (LCDD) LCDD is often found when a person is evaluated for proteinuria or nephrotic syndrome and a renal biopsy is performed. The tiny piece of removed kidney tissue is examined under an electron microscope and light chains deposited in the kidney can be seen.

Does MGUS affect your heart?

MGUS is known to cause cardiac amyloid light-chain amyloidosis through the deposition of free light chains (3), but it is also associated with the rare myopathy SLONM (4). Nemaline myopathy is usually an early-onset, inherited disease caused by mutations in genes encoding myocyte structural proteins.

Can MGUS cause leg weakness?

Weakness or falling was uncommon. A few patients with A-MGUS had unusual presentations, with severe sensory loss in the upper limbs or moderate leg weakness with bilateral foot drop.