Gammopathy: A disorder in blood

Abstract

Gammopathy is characterized by increment of serum immunoglobulin level in the blood. This content provides little knowledge about definition of Gammopathy, how and why it is occurred, the classification of Gammopathy and how it is useful in the field of diagnosis or treatment. It comes under immunological disorder. Sometimes presence of predisposing factor may influence this condition. The ultimate goal of the study is to reduce the cases of Gammopathy by taking preventive and curative measures as it is not congenital disease.

Keywords: Gammopathy, immunoglobulin, classification, monoclonal, polyclonal

Introduction
Gammopathy is the condition where body produces too many immunoglobulins or antibodies than the normal level. We all know that there are five types of immunoglobulins is present animal body as well as human body. These are IgG, IgM, IgA, IgD, IgE. Among them 80% is immunoglobulin G and 15% is immunoglobulin M.  Normal level of IgM in serum is 7.5 to 300 mg/dl and IgG is 650 to 1850 mg/dl. Depending upon its level we can consider whether the condition is Gammopathy or not.

Brief discussion on structure of Immunoglobulin
Immunoglobulin undergoes the eponymous immunoglobulin super family. They are made of two light and two heavy chain where l chain consists of either kappa or lambda chain where as H chain consists of variable domain CH1, CH2, CH3.

Now come to the different types of immunoglobulin which already mentioned in introduction part. Here their functions have been described. Functions of 5 type of immunoglobulin are:

Apart from that there is one another type of immunoglobulin called abnormal Ig. The example is Bence Jones protein. It is typically found in multiple myeloma. And this multiple myeloma may affect the synthesizing of 4types of immunoglobulin, IgG, IgA, IgD, and IgE.

Classification of Gammopathy

Gammopathy can be classified as polyclonal and monoclonal Gammopathy. It plays an important role in diagnostic, immune system and treatment.

• Polyclonal Gammopathy:  It is the situation in which all variety of major immunoglobulins are increased in number. It is mainly hyperglobulinaemia. Due to chronic stimulation of the immune system this condition can be raised. There are various conditions or rather we can say there are so many causes for which polyclonal Gammopathy takes place such as chronic pyoderma, chronic bacterial, viral or fungal infection, chronic parasitic and rickettsial diseases chronic immunological diseases like lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis etc. sometimes Gammopathy primarily starts as monoclonal but then it becomes polyclonal because of increment of no of globulins in blood serum.
• Monoclonal Gammopathy: It is the situation in which one type of immunoglobulin is produced in large amount. They are also called paraproteinaemia. Here excess amount of myeloma protein or abnormal protein or monoclonal protein present in the blood sera like Bence Jones protein. Monoclonal Gammopathy is related with gamma globulin secreting tumors. Animals with monoclonal Gammopathy are immune deficient. In Dog Myeloma protein is IgG or IgA. In Cat and horse- Myeloma protein IgM. IgG3 (horse)

Clinical symptoms

1. Disease can be developed due to presence monoclonal proteins itself which is called primary amyloidosis. Amyloidosis due to accumulation of Ig light chain in the tissue.
2. It may affect the renal system. It can cause proliferative glomerulonephritis and renal failure.
3. It causes tumor in skull, ribs, spines etc.
4. Because of this changes can come into blood like clotting of the blood and other neurological manifestations may happen in some dogs.
5. If monoclonal protein level is high in dog’s blood, dog with IgM or IgA may show hyper viscosity syndrome which is an oncogenic emergency.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is done by examining the blood or urine sample by the method called electrophoresis. In this method proteins particles separate based on their size and gives the result. The result of the test gives the important information about the health.  It indicates whether the abnormal protein present in blood or not.

Treatment

Treatment is done by chemotherapy. Chemotherapy for treating immunoglobulin secreting tumors and plasmapherosis for treating hyper viscosity syndrome.

Conclusion

Gammopathy may be a new and interesting topic to us on which researchers still are working. It can be manageable by screening and curable by chemotherapy or plasmapherosis. The screening procedure has been followed by UK. The animal owner also has to be careful about those infections which causes Gammopathy unless it carries a risk of progression of myeloma.

References: 

1. The Merck Veterinary Manual.
2. Veterinary Immunology by Ian Tizard.