Page 464 - Veterinary Immunology, 10th Edition
P. 464
VetBooks.ir
FIG. 15.21 Serum electrophoretic patterns showing the normal
pattern and the characteristic features of monoclonal and polyclonal
gammopathies. The monoclonal antibody spike reflects the
production of large amounts of homogenous immunoglobulins.
Monoclonal gammopathies commonly result from the presence of a
myeloma. The arrow denotes the direction of migration.
Myeloma proteins may belong to any immunoglobulin class. For
example, IgG, IgA, and IgM myelomas have been reported in dogs.
In humans, in addition to myelomas of the major immunoglobulin
classes, rare cases of IgD and IgE myelomas have also been
described. The prevalence of myelomas expressing the various
immunoglobulin classes in myeloma proteins correlates with their
quantities in normal serum. Light chain disease is caused by a
myeloma in which light chains alone are produced or the
production of light chains is greatly in excess of the production of
heavy chains. Similarly, there is a very rare form of myeloma in
which Fc fragments alone are produced. This condition is
erroneously termed heavy chain disease.
464
