What is monoclonal gammopathy neuropathy?

What is monoclonal gammopathy neuropathy?

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is a common benign precursor condition of multiple myeloma (MM) and related disorders. 1,2. MGUS is considered asymptomatic but has been shown to be associated with peripheral neuropathy (PN).

What is IgM gammopathy?

Immunoglobulin (Ig) M monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (IgM-MGUS) is defined as a serum IgM monoclonal protein < 3 g/dL, bone marrow lymphoplasmacytic infiltration < 10%, and no evidence of constitutional symptoms, anemia, hyperviscosity, lymphadenopathy, or hepatosplenomegaly related to the …

Can MGUS cause nerve damage?

Occasionally, people with MGUS have numbness or tingling in their hands and feet (peripheral neuropathy), or problems with their balance. This may be due to nerve damage caused by the paraprotein in the blood.

How is MGUS neuropathy treated?

Rituximab. This monoclonal antibody targets the CD20 antigen on B lymphocytes and is a first-line treatment for IgM-MGUS (off-label use). A small randomized study determined the effectiveness of rituximab versus placebo on symptoms of neuropathy in patients with anti-MAG IgM demyelinating polyneuropathy.

Do monoclonal antibodies cause neuropathy?

The hallmark of these disorders is the secretion of a monoclonal immunoglobulin, referred to as a monoclonal (M) protein. Peripheral neuropathy is a well-recognized complication of monoclonal gammopathies, and a difficult clinical problem in terms of diagnosis and treatment (Table 1).

What does monoclonal IgM mean?

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.

How serious is IgM MGUS?

MGUS is a precancerous condition. Precancerous means that it’s not cancer, but it has the potential to progress to cancer. Some people with MGUS go on to develop multiple myeloma or other blood cancers, but the majority do not.

What disease produces a monoclonal gammopathy?

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is a condition in which a person has moderately elevated levels of an abnormal immunoglobulin protein called M protein in the blood. As in multiple myeloma, MGUS begins in a type of white blood cells called plasma cells, which produce M protein.

What does IgM MGUS progress to?

All pose a risk, albeit varying, of progression to a malignant disorder. Typically, IgG and IgA MGUS progress to MM, IgM MGUS progresses to WM or other lymphoproliferative disorders, and light-chain MGUS is the precursor of light-chain MM.

Does myeloma cause neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is an important complication of multiple myeloma (MM) and associated conditions1, 2, 3 that can be caused both by the disease and by the therapies used to treat MM.

Does myeloma affect the feet?

Nerve damage: Myeloma proteins can be toxic to your nerves. This can lead to a condition called peripheral neuropathy that causes a pins-and-needles feeling, often in your legs and feet.