ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the incidence of serum monoclonal immunoglobulins (McIg) in B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorders (B-CLPD) and the clinical significance of McIg in B-CLPD and its possible sources.Methods A total of 1 147 patients with B-CLPD treated from May 2006 to May 2015 were enrolled into this retrospective study.The incidence of McIg and the relationship between McIg and prognostic factors in patients with B-CLPD were analyzed.Results Out of 1 147 B-CLPD patients,there were 164 patients with lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma/Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (LPL/WM),and among them,McIg was detected in 140 cases (85.4 ％).In the remaining 983 patients with B-CLPD,monoclonal Ig was detected in 50 (5.1％) patients.Most of McIg in 2 groups were IgM paraprotein.The levels of IgM paraprotein of the LPL/WM group,non-LPL./WM group and McIg-negative patients were (48.88±33.42) g/L,(27.9±15.23) g/L and (2.75±1.21) g/L,respectively,the difference was statistical significance (P=0.000);the level of IgM paraprotein in LPL/WM group was significantly higher than that in non-LPL/WM group (P=0.000).The level of paraprotein decreased significantly when the patients got complete response after therapy (P=0.001,0.048,respectively).The incidence of serum McIg was higher in the group with complex karyotype (P =0.016) andwith high level of β2-microglobulin (β2-MG) (P =0.001).In the 47 non-LPL/WM patients with positive McIg,serum McIg in 38 (80.9 ％) patients were expressed in a pattern consistent with the distribution of tumor cells (P ＜ 0.005).Most of the light chain subtype of the McIg were consistent with the light chain subtype of the membrane immunoglobulin on the tumor cells.Conclusions Some non-LPL/WM B-CLPD patients also have serum McIg,and it could have certain relevance with the prognosis of B-CLPD.Moreover,the McIg may be secreted by tumor cells or those derived from the same progenitor cells with tumor cells.