Plasma Cell Disorders in Patients with Age-Related Transthyretin (ATTRwt) Amyloidosis
Authors: Sidiqi M Hasib , Kumar Shaji K. , Dasari Surendra , McPhail Ellen D. , Buadi Francis K. , Warsame Rahma , Lacy Martha Q. , Dingli David , Gonsalves Wilson I , Kapoor Prashant , Kourelis Taxiarchis , Leung Nelson , Muchtar Eli , Lust John A. , Kyle Robert A. , Rajkumar S. Vincent , Gertz Morie A. , Dispenzieri Angela 
Published: October 2019

ATTRwt (formerly known as senile) amyloidosis and plasma cell disorders share a common demographic of occurrence with increasing prevalence with age.

We aimed to identify the prevalence of plasma cell disorders in patients diagnosed with ATTRwt. We retrospectively reviewed all patients seen at Mayo Clinic Rochester between 1st January 2009 and 31st of December 2017 who were diagnosed with ATTRwt. The start date of the study was chosen to coincide with routine clinical availability of laser microdissection mass spectrometry (LCMS) for subtyping of amyloidosis. 492 patients with ATTRwt were evaluated during the study period. Serum immunofixation electrophoresis (SIFE), urine immunofixation electrophoresis (UIFE) and serum free light chain (FLC) assay testing was performed in 74% (n=362), 53% (n=261) and 79% (n=386) respectively.

Of the 492 ATTRwt seen during this period, 139 (28%) had abnormal monoclonal protein studies, the vast majority (92%, n=128) of which were monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). Monoclonal protein testing in this cohort included SIFE, UIFE and FLC in 96% (n=134), 71% (n=99) and 99% (n=137) respectively. The non-MGUS diagnoses included smoldering multiple myeloma in <1%% (n=2), multiple myeloma (MM) in 6% (n=8), AL amyloidosis in 2% (n=3), and lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) in 3% (n=4). MM and LPL developed after progression from MGUS in 2 and 3 patients respectively. Two patients with MGUS also had a diagnosis of low grade non Hodgkin lymphoma (chronic lymphocytic leukemia in one and marginal zone lymphoma in the other). The abnormal monoclonal protein studies included SIFE in 55%, UIFE in 26% and an abnormal serum free light chain ratio (FLCr) in 73%.

The organ biopsied for the diagnosis of ATTRwt was heart in 43% (n=60), bone marrow in 24% (n=33), fat in 9% (n=12) and other sites in 5% (n=8, 3 lung, 2 lip, 2 bladder and 1 small bowel). LCMS confirmed the subtype of amyloidosis as ATTRwt in all patients with a biopsy positive for amyloidosis by congo red staining. 19% (n=26) of patients were diagnosed with ATTRwt based on clinical features and a strongly positive PYP scan. PYP scan was positive for ATTR in 55/56 patients in whom the test was performed. The most common monoclonal protein isotypes detected were light chain (45%) and IgG (28%). Light chain subtype was kappa in the majority of patients (80%).

Plasma cell disorders are not uncommon in patients with ATTRwt amyloidosis. The diagnosis of a plasma cell disorder and ATTRwt are not mutually exclusive, and their coexistence can confuse the diagnosis if amyloid typing is not performed. Patients with ATTRwt may be misclassified as AL amyloidosis due to the presence of amyloid and a clonal plasma cell disorder with significant prognostic and therapeutic implications.

Disclosures

Kumar: Novartis: Research Funding; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Oncopeptides: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; KITE: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Roche: Research Funding; Merck: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; KITE: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; AbbVie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; AbbVie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Lacy:Celgene: Research Funding. Dingli:Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Other: Participates in the International PNH Registry (for Mayo Clinic, Rochester) for Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Millennium Takeda: Research Funding; Millennium Takeda: Research Funding; Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Other: Participates in the International PNH Registry (for Mayo Clinic, Rochester) for Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.. Kapoor:Takeda: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding. Gertz:Ionis: Honoraria; Research to Practice: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy; Prothena: Honoraria; Alnylam: Honoraria; Medscape: Consultancy; celgene: Consultancy; Teva: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; janssen: Consultancy; spectrum: Consultancy, Honoraria; annexon: Consultancy; Apellis: Consultancy; Physicians Education Resource: Consultancy. Dispenzieri:Celgene, Takeda, Prothena, Jannsen, Pfizer, Alnylam, GSK: Research Funding.