MONOCLONAL IMMUNOGLOBULIN DEPOSITION DISEASE - A REVIEW OF IMMUNOGLOBULIN CHAIN ALTERATIONS

Monoclonal immunoglobulin deposition disease, a complication of overtl y malignant or apparently benign immunoproliferative disorders, is a s evere disease featuring tissue deposition of monoclonal light, light a nd heavy, or heavy chains. A number of converging arguments strongly s uggest a direct pathogenetic role of structural abnormalities or pecul iarities of variable regions of light and/or heavy chains (associated with deletions in the constant region for the heavy chains). Recent st ructural data on these abnormal immunoglobulin chains are reviewed.