[Rsteigg21]

Protein electrophoresis, kappa-lambda results - meaning?

by Rsteigg21 on Sun May 15, 2016 9:15 pm

Wife has had issues with paralysis, numbness, tingling, etc for two years. Every 6 months or so the numbness starts and spreads within minutes, which leads her to being paralyzed with burning pain neck down. 3 separate hospitals have no idea what was wrong (Pittsburgh). They've done full workups, scans, ECGs, etc, and everything comes back normal. Rheu­ma­tology and neurology did not find anything except Sjrogrens.

She recently tested at another neuro and had the following:

Protein Electro

Protein total 7.9 (6.2 to 8.0) normal
Albumin 4.0 (3.5 to 4.7) normal
Alpha 1 glob 0.3 (0.1 to 0.3)
Alpha 2 glob 0.9 (0.5 to 0.9)
Beta glob 1.4 (0.8 to 1.4)
Gamma glob 1.3 (0.6 to 1.6)

Test note: There is a faint discrete area of enhancement in the gamma region. Artifact? A paraprotein cannot be excluded.

Free Kappa Lambda Serum

Free kappa, serum 12.7 (3.3 to 19.4)
Free lambda serum 20.2 (5.7 to 26.3)
Free kappa/lambda ratio 0.63 (0.26 to 1.64)

Immunofixation serum

A weak restriction is present. Consistent with a weak IgG lambda monoclonal protein. In addition, a weak kappa band cannot be excluded.

Can someone please explain this? I've done a lot of research and am still quite confused. We have an appointment next Monday with a multiple myeloma specialist in Cleveland as I wanted a second opinion. All previous blood tests in hospital came back normal. Also, she had a hysterectomy three weeks before these tests, if that would do anything.

Thank you all for reading this and your patience...

-worried husband

[Multibilly]

Re: Protein electrophoresis, kappa-lambda results - meaning?

by Multibilly on Mon May 16, 2016 7:58 am

Rsteigg21,

Given your wife's symptoms, my only thought would be to discuss the possibility of amyloidosis with the multiple myeloma specialist. Let us know how things turn out at the appointment.

[Little Monkey]

Re: Protein electrophoresis, kappa-lambda results - meaning?

by Little Monkey on Mon May 16, 2016 5:53 pm

You mention scans. Has your wife had a PET scan done?

[Rsteigg21]

Re: Protein electrophoresis, kappa-lambda results - meaning?

by Rsteigg21 on Mon May 16, 2016 10:57 pm

When she had her scans, they were of her chest, hands and back I believe. It was about 5 months ago so I don't remember. It was a big thing in Pittsburgh. She had a team of about 10 doctors working on her and drawing blood almost every other hour. Everything from an EKG, scans of joints and back I believe. They also had her do a stress test on heart and then hooked something up to her head and monitored her brain waves if that makes sense (every time she blinked the monitor would fluctuate). I think they did a head scan for tumors as well. Everything came back fine.

She normally has no numbness or burning or paralysis in normal day to day activities. Only in major stress events does this happen, like when our daughter had a car accident, or when her mother had a stroke or she thought I got arrested (which was a Halloween joke, however it stressed her bad and she immediately relapsed). So now we try to keep her in a no stress environment.

She has been diagnosed with Raynauds and Sjrogrens and now takes some anti-malaria drug to keep it at bay.

She is 35 also.

[Ron Harvot]

Re: Protein electrophoresis, kappa-lambda results - meaning?

by Ron Harvot on Tue May 17, 2016 12:23 pm

There does not appear to be anything that would point to multiple myeloma or even MGUS at this point. Her symptoms are more likely the result of her Raynauds and Sjogrens diagnoses.