Kappa Free Light Chain Low

These unlinked chains are known as free light chains.

Kappa free light chain low. If the amount of free light chains is higher or lower than normal it can mean you have a disorder of the plasma cells. What are light chains. With suspected primary amyloidosis an increase in serum free light chains with an abnormal kappa lambda ratio may suggest that amyloidosis is the cause of symptoms. The median survival from diagnosis was 30 mo for 52 patients with kappa lcd and 10 mo for 45 patients with lambda lcd p less than 0 0007.

Therefore the serum free light chain test is a better predictor of outcome than the amount of m protein in the blood. Under normal circumstances concentrations of both kappa and lambda light chains are very low in the bloodstream. Another study showed that free light chains of over 100 mg l after treatment represented a poor progress free and overall survival. The study concluded that early reduction in free light chain values was helpful to assess chemo response.

A low kappa lambda ratio could be a cause for concern for those patients with lambda light chain myeloma whose lambda increases. A lower proportion of kappa lcd patients 15 7 than lambda lcd patients 42 2 died within the first 6 mo after diagnosis. And if your light chain was kappa then this wouldn t be anything to worry about at all. 5 71 to 26 3 mg l lambda free light chains.

In general a low kappa lambda ratio 0 26 indicates the overproduction of lambda light chains and a high ratio 1 65 indicates the overproduction of kappa light chains. A free light chains test measures the amount of lambda and kappa free light chains in the blood. There are two types of light chains. This can be measured by the free light chain assay test on a blood specimen.

As many as 16 percent of myeloma patients secrete only light chains which may not be identified on serum immunofixation. Polymeric forms of both types of free light chain can also occur. 0 26 to 1 65 ratio of kappa lambda. Kappa free light chains are normally monomeric while lambda free light chains tend to be dimeric joined by disulphide bonds.

In general the higher the free light chains the more aggressive the disease is. Normal test results for free light chains are. There are two types of light chains. If your results are higher or lower it may mean you have a problem with your plasma cells such as multiple myeloma.

In al amyloidosis abnormal plasma cells produce a large quantity of one particular type of identical light chain either kappa chains or lambda chains known as the involved light chain. It is less worrisome when the ratio is low or decreasing when the sole abnormality is lowering of the uninvolved light chain. Decreased free light chains with a normal kappa lambda ratio may be seen with a disorder that suppresses bone marrow cell production. The concentration of the other free light chain known as the uninvolved light chain usually remains at or close to normal levels in the blood.