Impact of Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation on the Incidence and Outcome of Oligoclonal Bands in Patients with Light-Chain Amyloidosis

An unusual pattern in serum protein electrophoresis to take in mind: A case report

Here we described a case of an asymptomatic 73 years-old female patient in geriatric routine consultation, whose laboratory testing showed hyperproteinemia with accompanying hyperglobulinemia. A diagnosis of BGUS was made only after a correlation among SPEP, densitometry tracing and IFE results was established, evidencing a second peak, that was less evident and not reported at first. These biclonal conditions are of very low incidence in the clinical laboratory, requiring the laboratory professional to have particular skills for their identification. As far as is known, clinical findings in BGUS are similar to those found in MGUS. However, they remain not well understood. Therefore, for an accurate diagnosis of BGUS, the clinical laboratory technician must be trained and sensitized to detect a second M - protein as a band or peak; taking in mind the possible different scenarios in heavy and light chain typing.

Prognostic impact of immunoparesis at diagnosis and after treatment onset in patients with light-chain amyloidosis

OBJECTIVES

Immunoparesis (IP) is a risk factor associated with an unfavourable outcome in several plasma cell disorders. It has been suggested that its presence in light-chain (AL) amyloidosis could be associated with worse prognosis. However, the relevance of IP after treatment has not been evaluated to date. The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic impact of IP at diagnosis and one year after treatment onset in patients with AL amyloidosis.

METHODS

The clinical records of 69 patients with AL amyloidosis treated at a single institution from January 2006 to January 2016 were included in the study.

RESULTS

IP was observed in 27.5% of patients at diagnosis. The presence of IP was associated with a lower probability to achieve very good partial response or better after first-line treatment (37.8% versus 62.2%; p = .04). However, only in the group of patients treated with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), the presence of IP resulted in a shorter progression-free survival (PFS) (30.2 months versus not reached [NR]; p = .02) but not in overall survival (OS). Persistence of IP at one year after treatment onset was identified in only four (9.8%) of the 41 evaluable patients. In the ASCT group, the absence of IP at one year after treatment onset resulted in a longer median PFS and OS (NR versus 22.6 months; p = .006; and NR versus 35.2 months; p < .001; respectively). In the multivariate analysis, the absence of IP at one year after treatment onset was independently associated with longer survival.

CONCLUSION

IP at diagnosis has a negative impact on survival while its absence at one year after treatment is an independent marker for long-term survival.