Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Clinical Pathology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Pathology
. 1991 Jun;44(6):466–471. doi: 10.1136/jcp.44.6.466

Immunoturbidimetric assay for estimating free light chains of immunoglobulins in urine and serum.

C R Tillyer 1, J Iqbal 1, J Raymond 1, M Gore 1, T J McIlwain 1
PMCID: PMC496826  PMID: 1906071

Abstract

An immunoturbidimetric assay for the assessment of free kappa and lambda light chains of immunoglobulins was developed using a commercial polyclonal antiserum with reactivity towards epitopes on the light chains, which are not expressed when they are bound to heavy chains. The assay, on a centrifugal analyser, is simple and rapid. The limit of detection is 5 mg/l of free light chain, with an assay range of 5-120 mg/l, intrabatch precisions from 1.5-6.4%, and interbatch precisions from 6.5-8.9%. The assay was only slightly less sensitive than colloidal gold staining of cellulose acetate electrophoreses for the detection of Bence-Jones protein in urine. For the serial monitoring of response to chemotherapy in patients with myeloma, the assay correlated well with serum paraprotein estimates obtained by densitometric scanning of Ponceau stained cellulose acetate electrophoreses, but not with serum beta-2 microglobulin measurements, even after correction for the effects of creatinine. These assays may prove to be of use for the monitoring of tumour response in the treatment of Bence-Jones myeloma.

Full text

PDF
466

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Astor M., Hall E. J. Misonidazole and MTDQ in combination: cytotoxic and radiosensitizing properties in hypoxic mammalian cells. Br J Cancer. 1979 May;39(5):510–515. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1979.94. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Axiak S. M., Krishnamoorthy L., Guinan J., Raison R. L. Quantitation of free kappa light chains in serum and urine using a monoclonal antibody based inhibition enzyme-linked immunoassay. J Immunol Methods. 1987 May 4;99(1):141–147. doi: 10.1016/0022-1759(87)90043-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bataille R., Grenier J., Sany J. Beta-2-microglobulin in myeloma: optimal use for staging, prognosis, and treatment--a prospective study of 160 patients. Blood. 1984 Feb;63(2):468–476. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bataille R., Grenier J. Serum beta 2 microglobulin in multiple myeloma. A critical review. Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol. 1987 Dec;23(12):1829–1832. doi: 10.1016/0277-5379(87)90047-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Brouwer J., Otting-van de Ruit M., Busking-van der Lely H. Estimation of free light chains of immunoglobulins by enzyme immunoassay. Clin Chim Acta. 1985 Aug 30;150(3):267–274. doi: 10.1016/0009-8981(85)90254-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cole P. W., Durie B. G., Salmon S. E. Immunoquantitation of free light chain immunoglobulins: applications in multiple myeloma. J Immunol Methods. 1978;19(4):341–349. doi: 10.1016/0022-1759(78)90018-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Cuzick J., Cooper E. H., MacLennan I. C. The prognostic value of serum beta 2 microglobulin compared with other presentation features in myelomatosis. Br J Cancer. 1985 Jul;52(1):1–6. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1985.140. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Di Giovanni S., Valentini G., Ravazzolo E., Carducci P., Giallonardo P., Maschio C. Serum beta 2-microglobulin in patients with monoclonal gammopathies. Int J Biol Markers. 1987 Sep-Dec;2(3):169–172. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Durie B. G., Cole P. W., Chen H. S., Himmelstein K. J., Salmon S. E. Synthesis and metabolism of Bence Jones protein and calculation of tumour burden in patients with Bence Jones myeloma. Br J Haematol. 1981 Jan;47(1):7–19. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1981.tb02757.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Garewal H., Durie B. G., Kyle R. A., Finley P., Bower B., Serokman R. Serum beta 2-microglobulin in the initial staging and subsequent monitoring of monoclonal plasma cell disorders. J Clin Oncol. 1984 Jan;2(1):51–57. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1984.2.1.51. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hall C. L., Hardwicke J. Low molecular weight proteinuria. Annu Rev Med. 1979;30:199–211. doi: 10.1146/annurev.me.30.020179.001215. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kohn J., Riches P. G. A cellulose acetate immunofixation technique. J Immunol Methods. 1978;20:325–331. doi: 10.1016/0022-1759(78)90268-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lolli F., Amaducci L. Measurement of free kappa immunoglobulin light chains in the cerebrospinal fluid by a competitive avidin-biotin ELISA. Clin Chim Acta. 1989 Jun 30;182(2):229–234. doi: 10.1016/0009-8981(89)90081-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Righetti P. G., Casero P., Del Campo G. B. Gold staining in cellulose acetate membranes. Clin Chim Acta. 1986 Jun 15;157(2):167–174. doi: 10.1016/0009-8981(86)90222-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Robinson E. L., Gowland E., Ward I. D., Scarffe J. H. Radioimmunoassay of free light chains of immunoglobulins in urine. Clin Chem. 1982 Nov;28(11):2254–2258. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Scarffe J. H., Anderson H., Palmer M. K., Crowther D. Prognostic significance of pretreatment serum beta 2-microglobulin levels in multiple myeloma. Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol. 1983 Oct;19(10):1361–1364. doi: 10.1016/0277-5379(93)90004-o. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Smith A. M., Thompson R. A. Paraprotein estimation: a comparison of immunochemical and densitometric techniques. J Clin Pathol. 1978 Dec;31(12):1156–1160. doi: 10.1136/jcp.31.12.1156. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Sölling K. Free light chains of immunoglobulins in normal serum and urine determined by radioimmunoassay. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 1975 Sep;35(5):407–412. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. TAN M., EPSTEIN W. V. A DIRECT IMMUNOLOGIC ASSAY OF HUMAN SERA FOR BENCE JONES PROTEINS (L-CHAINS). J Lab Clin Med. 1965 Aug;66:344–356. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Tillyer C. R., Rawal Y. An immunoturbidimetric method for the measurement of beta-2 microglobulin in serum and plasma on a centrifugal analyser. Ann Clin Biochem. 1988 Jan;25(Pt 1):67–72. doi: 10.1177/000456328802500109. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Zelkowitz L., Yakulis V. Immunologic methods for detection and quantification of Bence Jones proteins. J Lab Clin Med. 1970 Dec;76(6):973–980. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Pathology are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES