Clinical Information

Plasma cell proliferative disorders are a group of plasma cell derived clonal hematologic neoplasms that exhibit a wide range of biologic activity ranging from monoclonal gammopathy of uncertain significance (MGUS), a usually indolent disorder with a low rate of disease progression, to multiple myeloma (MM), a disease that is often aggressive with poor long-term survival. Detecting plasma cell clonality through demonstrating immunoglobulin (Ig) light chain restriction (ie, the presence of either predominately kappa or predominately lambda light chains), supplemented by the plasma cell immunophenotype and DNA index, is an important element in establishing the diagnosis.

It is important to correctly classify patients with plasma cell proliferative disorders as the various disease entities are treated differently. A number of factors are used for this classification including the proportions of clonal bone marrow plasma cells, the DNA index of the clonal plasma cells, and their proliferative activity. The plasma cell DNA index and proliferation assessment by flow cytometry are rapid and reliable. This information can be used to distinguish patients with overt active MM from less aggressive diseases such as MGUS and smoldering MM.

Furthermore, in combination with other laboratory data, the results of these studies can be used as a measure of disease aggressiveness in newly diagnosed MM and to determine therapeutic efficacy and detect disease relapse in treated MM patients.

The following algorithms are available:

-Amyloidosis: Laboratory Approach to Diagnosis

-Multiple Myeloma: Laboratory Screening