Multiple Meyeloma Flashcards
A ‘monoclonal gammopathy’ a malignancy of antibody producing plasma cells
Multiple Myeloma
Multiple Myeloma is called a gammopathy because the ‘gamma band’ of serum proteins, after separation by electrophoresis, contains the
Immunoglobulins
Multiple myeloma: Multiple because by the time the condition is dectected, multiple foci of tumor cells are
Present
Multiple myeloma: Myeloma because tumors form in the
Bone marrow
Plasma cell tumors that begin with a single cell
Monoclonal gammopathies
All cells of a monoclonal gammopathy tumor secrete antibody of the same
Isotype
The secreted antibody in a monoclonal gammopathy is the
Paraprotein
Multiple myeloma has many clumps of
Tumor cells
Erodes bone via stimulation of osteoclasts
Multiple Myeloma
Extramedullary – less mature B cell, secretes IgM, less bone marrow involvement
Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia
Only the heavy chain is secreted in
Heavy-chain disease
Only the light chains are secreted in
Light-chain disease
Light chains in in urine are
Bence-Jones Proteins
In serum electrophoresis, antibodies are mostly in the
Gamma band
The gamma band is elevated in
Multiple Myeloma