These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed


  • Title: Combined light chain immunofixation to detect monoclonal gammopathy: a comparison to standard electrophoresis in serum and urine.
    Author: Jenner W, Klingberg S, Tate JR, Wilgen U, Ungerer JP, Pretorius CJ.
    Journal: Clin Chem Lab Med; 2014 Jul; 52(7):981-7. PubMed ID: 24566368.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a combined κ and λ light chain immunofixation (CLIF) as a screening tool to detect monoclonal immunoglobulins in serum and urine. A secondary aim was to investigate the impact on workflow and reagent utilisation of a systematic implementation of CLIF in addition to routine protein electrophoresis (PE) on all samples. METHODS: Light chain antisera (κ and λ) were mixed in a 1:1 ratio and loaded in the same sequence as the PE to create a superimposable image. RESULTS: The CLIF procedure agreed significantly better with standard immunofixation procedures in the serum and urine. In 33 (22%) new patients and in 114 (15%) follow-up patients CLIF detected a band missed by PE in serum. In 34 (4.5%) of previously categorised cases the monoclonal band was below the detection limit of CLIF in serum, but still detectable by conventional immunofixation electrophoresis. In one case (0.7%) a band in a urine specimen was missed by CLIF compared to 70 (49%) missed by PE. After the systematic introduction of CLIF turn-around-times (TATs) and utilisation of laboratory consumables decreased significantly (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A systematic implementation of CLIF led to the detection of monoclonal bands missed by PE with an improvement in TATs and a decrease in cost.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]