Biclonal gammopathies: Retrospective study of 47 patients

• Published in: Revista clínica espanõla (English edition) 2015-01, Vol.215 (1), p.18-24
• Main Authors: García-García, P, Enciso-Alvarez, K, Diaz-Espada, F, Vargas-Nuñez, J A, Moraru, M, Yebra-Bango, M
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; spa
• ISSN: 2254-8874
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rce.2014.07.003

OBJECTIVESBiclonal gammopathies are characterized by the clonal proliferation of plasma cells or their B-lymphoid progenitors and are associated with the production of abnormal immunoglobulins (M proteins or paraproteins). There are no known studies that have analyzed this disease in Spain. We studied the underlying diseases, characteristics of paraproteins and the evolution of a series of patients with biclonal gammopathy. MATERIAL AND METHODSWe reviewed clonal gammopathies at the Department of Immunology of Hospital Puerta de Hierro in Madrid, between 1970 and 2011, selecting those patients with biclonal gammopathy in one reading. We collected data on the patient's epidemiology, underlying disease, associated diseases, therapies and paraprotein and immunoglobulin levels. RESULTSOf the 1626 cases of clonal gammapathies, 47 were biclonal gammopathy (2.89%). The median follow-up was 2 years. The main associated condition was biclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance (BGUS). The most common paraprotein combination was IgG-IgG. Upon conducting a second paraprotein reading, 81% of the patients had lost at least 1 monoclonal component. A third of the patients had not undergone treatment. CONCLUSIONSBiclonal gammopathy are fundamentally associated with biclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance. No biclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance evolved to a malignant disease. In a high percentage of patients, at least 1 of the 2 clonal components disappeared, sometimes spontaneously.