Hello,
I tried reading up on this and read another post with a similar subject line, but the terminology is overwhelming. To diagnose elbow pains, I had the following tests.
Would anyone be able to tell me if the protein electrophoresis results shown below raises a red flag regarding myeloma? I can't seem to find out what the "Abnormal Band" means.
The Abnormal Band item is the only item in a fairly elaborate blood test that shows High.
My doctor is a bit wishy-washy and a similar report was sent to a myeloma oncologist who said I didn't have myeloma but should come back in 6 months. But why come back if everything is OK?. I asked, but the oncologist didn't want to put anything in writing. I am a 74 year old man and am somewhat worried that they are not up front with me.
I don't expect an elaborate answer (it would probably go over my head), but would like to know if I should follow up on this test, or perhaps get a second opinion.
Albumin SPE 49 g/L (43-56)
Alpha 1 Globulins 2 g/L (1-3)
Alpha-2 Globulins 9 g/L (6-11)
Beta Globulins 9 g/L (5-10)
Gamma Globulins Total 10 g/L (6-14)
Abnormal Band 5.5 g/L (<=0)
An attached note it says:
"Abnormal band in the gamma region. Immunofixation will be performed".
But I did not receive any results for an 'Immunofixation'...
Thank you for sharing your experience!
A confused newcomer,
psytek
Forums
5 posts
• Page 1 of 1
Re: Protein electrophoresis says "abnormal band"
Hi psytek,
The "abnormal band" in your SPEP is what you'll often see referred to here in the forums as an "M-spike", paraprotein level, monoclonal protein level, or M-protein level.
It is not normal for the body to produce monoclonal immunoglobulins, which are the monoclonal proteins being measured in your SPEP. At the same time, having an "abnormal band", or M-spike, does not necessarily mean that you have a disease that requires treatment or is in any way life-threatening.
Given what your doctors said about checking back in in six months, and also given that your "abnormal band" (M-spike) is 5.5 g/l (0.55 g/dl), which is relatively low, it sounds like your doctors have decided that you have "monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance", or "MGUS".
MGUS is a condition that is more common among people in their 70s and 80s than most people realize. Some estimates are 5-10 percent of people at those ages may have MGUS, with most not knowing it.
Also, MGUS is a condition that is normally benign, although it sometimes can have symptoms. It is rarely treated. Instead, the typical approach is "watch and wait."
For most people with MGUS, the disease stays just MGUS. However, there is about a 1.5 to 2.0 percent risk per year that MGUS can progress to a more serious disease – typically multiple myeloma – which then would require treatment.
When you have a chance, you should check your records to see if a serum (blood) free light chain test was run. It would be good for you to know those values. Likewise, see if you can find your IgG, IgA, and IgM levels, and also your hemoglobin level.
Of course, you also should confirm with your doctors whether your diagnosis is, in fact, MGUS.
Good luck!
The "abnormal band" in your SPEP is what you'll often see referred to here in the forums as an "M-spike", paraprotein level, monoclonal protein level, or M-protein level.
It is not normal for the body to produce monoclonal immunoglobulins, which are the monoclonal proteins being measured in your SPEP. At the same time, having an "abnormal band", or M-spike, does not necessarily mean that you have a disease that requires treatment or is in any way life-threatening.
Given what your doctors said about checking back in in six months, and also given that your "abnormal band" (M-spike) is 5.5 g/l (0.55 g/dl), which is relatively low, it sounds like your doctors have decided that you have "monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance", or "MGUS".
MGUS is a condition that is more common among people in their 70s and 80s than most people realize. Some estimates are 5-10 percent of people at those ages may have MGUS, with most not knowing it.
Also, MGUS is a condition that is normally benign, although it sometimes can have symptoms. It is rarely treated. Instead, the typical approach is "watch and wait."
For most people with MGUS, the disease stays just MGUS. However, there is about a 1.5 to 2.0 percent risk per year that MGUS can progress to a more serious disease – typically multiple myeloma – which then would require treatment.
When you have a chance, you should check your records to see if a serum (blood) free light chain test was run. It would be good for you to know those values. Likewise, see if you can find your IgG, IgA, and IgM levels, and also your hemoglobin level.
Of course, you also should confirm with your doctors whether your diagnosis is, in fact, MGUS.
Good luck!
-
JimNY
Re: Protein electrophoresis says "abnormal band"
Thank you very much JimNY!
Your reply is very helpful and quiets some of my concerns; a little knowledge can be a good thing. The other readings you mention appear to be in the normal range:
IgG 16.1 g/L (7.0-16.0)
IgA 3.3 g/L (0.7-4.0)
IgM 0.4 g/L (0.4-2.3)
Hgb 140 g/L (125-170)
I am not sure about the significance of this comment I found on a separate page:
"Serum Immunofixation: The Abnormal Band in the gamma region was typed as a monoclonal IgG kappa."
Thank you again. I think it is so wonderful that people in this forum share their experience to help others. I am truly touched.
psytek
Your reply is very helpful and quiets some of my concerns; a little knowledge can be a good thing. The other readings you mention appear to be in the normal range:
IgG 16.1 g/L (7.0-16.0)
IgA 3.3 g/L (0.7-4.0)
IgM 0.4 g/L (0.4-2.3)
Hgb 140 g/L (125-170)
I am not sure about the significance of this comment I found on a separate page:
"Serum Immunofixation: The Abnormal Band in the gamma region was typed as a monoclonal IgG kappa."
Thank you again. I think it is so wonderful that people in this forum share their experience to help others. I am truly touched.
psytek
Re: Protein electrophoresis says "abnormal band"
Hi psytek,
That's useful information you posted.
The serum immunofixation test tells you what kind of monoclonal proteins your body is producing. It doesn't measure the proteins – that's what the SPEP and serum free light chain tests are for.
The immunofixation result tells you that your body is producing monoclonal IgG which includes kappa light chains. "What?", you ask. Well, IgG molecules consist of two "heavy" chains of molecules and two "light" chains. The heavy chains in IgG molecules are all the same. In a given IgG molecule, however, the light chains are either both kappa light chains, or both lambda light chains. In your case, the MGUS is producing IgG molecules with kappa light chains.
By the way, you could have guessed that you are producing monoclonal IgG from your immunoglobulin test results (the IgG, IgA, and IgM numbers). In particular, your IgG is slightly elevated. That's the tip-off.
This is because your IgG test result measures the total of your healthy (or normal) IgG and your monoclonal IgG. So your 16.1 g/L of total IgG is really 10.6 g/L of healthy IgG and 5.5 g/L of monoclonal IgG.
If your SPEP "abnormal band" increases by 5 or 10 g/L, you'll probably see an increase in your total IgG.
If I were you, I would start keeping all my test results in a file folder or notebook, and you may even want to start making a spreadsheet with your M-spike, IgG, IgA, IgM, and hemoglobin results. You may also want to track your creatinine and calcium levels.
If your disease starts to progress, it would be reflected in a continuous rise in your M-spike (abnormal band in the SPEP). But you also might see it in declines in your IgA, IgM, or hemoglobin, or as increases in your creatinine and calcium levels.
This is because, if your disease is progressing, the diseased (monoclonal) plasma cells in your bones will be expanding, reducing your body's ability to produce your non-IgG immunoglobulins (IgA and IgM), and also hemoglobin.
Also, your calcium level might go up as bone is being eaten up by the disease, releasing calcium into the blood, and the higher protein levels in your blood, combined with higher calcium levels, would put stress on your kidneys, which would increase the amount of creatinine in your blood. (Creatinine is a marker for kidney damage.)
But we all hope none of that will happen with you!
I still think it would be useful for you to get a serum free light chain test, if possible, just to have those results for future reference, and to make sure your kappa free light chain level is not too high.
There's a whole part of the forum, by the way, dedicated to questions and discussion related to MGUS:
https://myelomabeacon.org/forum/mgus.html
Perhaps with some of the explanations I've provided in this and my earlier post, the MGUS-related discussions will make more sense!
Good luck, and keep us posted now and then on how you're doing.
That's useful information you posted.
The serum immunofixation test tells you what kind of monoclonal proteins your body is producing. It doesn't measure the proteins – that's what the SPEP and serum free light chain tests are for.
The immunofixation result tells you that your body is producing monoclonal IgG which includes kappa light chains. "What?", you ask. Well, IgG molecules consist of two "heavy" chains of molecules and two "light" chains. The heavy chains in IgG molecules are all the same. In a given IgG molecule, however, the light chains are either both kappa light chains, or both lambda light chains. In your case, the MGUS is producing IgG molecules with kappa light chains.
By the way, you could have guessed that you are producing monoclonal IgG from your immunoglobulin test results (the IgG, IgA, and IgM numbers). In particular, your IgG is slightly elevated. That's the tip-off.
This is because your IgG test result measures the total of your healthy (or normal) IgG and your monoclonal IgG. So your 16.1 g/L of total IgG is really 10.6 g/L of healthy IgG and 5.5 g/L of monoclonal IgG.
If your SPEP "abnormal band" increases by 5 or 10 g/L, you'll probably see an increase in your total IgG.
If I were you, I would start keeping all my test results in a file folder or notebook, and you may even want to start making a spreadsheet with your M-spike, IgG, IgA, IgM, and hemoglobin results. You may also want to track your creatinine and calcium levels.
If your disease starts to progress, it would be reflected in a continuous rise in your M-spike (abnormal band in the SPEP). But you also might see it in declines in your IgA, IgM, or hemoglobin, or as increases in your creatinine and calcium levels.
This is because, if your disease is progressing, the diseased (monoclonal) plasma cells in your bones will be expanding, reducing your body's ability to produce your non-IgG immunoglobulins (IgA and IgM), and also hemoglobin.
Also, your calcium level might go up as bone is being eaten up by the disease, releasing calcium into the blood, and the higher protein levels in your blood, combined with higher calcium levels, would put stress on your kidneys, which would increase the amount of creatinine in your blood. (Creatinine is a marker for kidney damage.)
But we all hope none of that will happen with you!
I still think it would be useful for you to get a serum free light chain test, if possible, just to have those results for future reference, and to make sure your kappa free light chain level is not too high.
There's a whole part of the forum, by the way, dedicated to questions and discussion related to MGUS:
https://myelomabeacon.org/forum/mgus.html
Perhaps with some of the explanations I've provided in this and my earlier post, the MGUS-related discussions will make more sense!
Good luck, and keep us posted now and then on how you're doing.
-
JimNY
Re: Protein electrophoresis says "abnormal band"
Thank you again for your time and help!
I see this is going to be a project I already started a spreadsheet to log all previous relevant tests and am reading posts on the MGUS forum.
Have a super day!
psytek
I see this is going to be a project
I already started a spreadsheet to log all previous relevant tests and am reading posts on the MGUS forum.Have a super day!
psytek
5 posts
• Page 1 of 1
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