B-311 Relation of Free Immunoglobulin Ligh Chain Concentration to Overflow Proteinuria
Authors: Hortin G L 
Published: October 2024

Background

Free immunoglobulin light chains are small proteins that undergo substantial glomerular filtration. When high serum concentrations of free light chains occur in multiple myeloma, the high filtered load of light chains exceeds the uptake capacity of proximal tubules, and overflow proteinuria ensues. Massive excretion of light chains can lead to cast formation and renal injury. The present study sought to determine the relation of serum light chain concentration to overflow proteinuria.

Methods

Results for patients with plasma cell disorders were reviewed as approved by an institutional review board. A Binding Site Optilite analyzer measured serum free light chain concentrations. Urine and serum protein electrophoresis were performed on Helena agarose gels. A total of 170 paired serum and 24-hour urine specimens were evaluated for 36 patients with increased kappa light chains and 26 patients with increased lambda light chains.

Results

Overflow proteinuria with either immunoglobulin light chain presented with light chain as the major urinary protein and limited increases of urinary albumin. Light chain excretion exceeded albumin excretion when light chain excretion surpassed 100 mg/d. Similar results were obtained for cases with increased kappa and lambda free light chains. There was a general relation of increased serum kappa and lambda light chains and urinary excretion of the corresponding light chain. Limited urinary excretion of light chains (&lt;120 mg/d) was seen when the serum light chain concentration was &lt; 250 mg/L, representing an approximate threshold for substantial overflow proteinuria. Overflow proteinuria exceeding 2,000 g/d was seen only when serum free light chain concentrations exceeded 800 mg/L. However, a few patients with high serum light chain values (&gt;1,000/L) had low urinary light chain excretion that was discordant from the relation of serum light chain concentration to light chain excretion. Serum light chain values &gt;4,000 mg/L (N = 10) were all associated with overflow proteinuria of &gt; 1,500 mg/d and, in 7 cases, &gt;10,000 mg/d. In a few cases, there was evidence that serum light chain assays overestimated light chain concentrations. In one case, the serum free light chain value was twice the total protein and about 12-fold higher than the serum M-spike, suggestive of substantial overestimation.

Conclusions

Defining the relation between serum free light chain concentrations and the magnitude of overflow proteinuria helps identify patients at low and high risk of massive overflow proteinuria that can cause renal injury. Limited overflow proteinuria (&lt;120 mg/d) occurred when serum light chain concentration was &lt; 250 mg/L, and substantial overflow proteinuria occurred when serum light chains exceeded 4,000 mg/L Serum free light chain concentrations above 250 mg/L were incompletely predictive of urinary free light chain excretion; a few discordant cases with high measured serum light chain concentrations (&gt;1,000 mg/L) and low excretion of light chains were observed. Further investigation is indicated for cases with possible overestimation of free light chains or discordance between serum light chain values and urinary light chain excretion. Unexpected results in some cases could relate to polymerization of free light chains as previously reported.