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. 1980 Oct;33(10):936–945. doi: 10.1136/jcp.33.10.936

Immunochemical and ultrastructural study of multiple myeloma with a heavy chain protein in the serum.

C Bartoloni, G Flamini, N Gentiloni, M A Russo, C Barone, G Gambassi, T Terranova
PMCID: PMC1146289  PMID: 6776150

Abstract

A patient with multiple myeloma had antigenically related monoclonal Fc-gamma fragments and complete IgG-kappa molecules in the serum. The urine contained only Fc-gamma fragments in the absence of Bence-Jones protein. The two distinct M-components in the serum showed electrophoretic identity but could be separated by chromatography. The simultaneous presence of complete monoclonal IgG molecules and Fc-gamma fragments, though difficult to detect, could be a frequent occurrence in multiple myeloma, and it could be defined as 'double paraproteinaemia'. A detailed ultrastructural study was performed in this case and showed fibril bundles being released from the malignant plasma cells; such fibrils could be the supramolecular organisation of the neosynthesised heavy chain fragments.

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Selected References

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