Renal Involvement in Dysproteinemias

The dysproteinemias are diseases which are characterized by the excessive proliferation of a single clone of cells capable of producing immunoglobulins. This results in overproduction of a single type of immunoglobulin (Ig) or of one fragment (heavy or light chains); this protein appears in the electrophoretogram as a narrow band or spike of serum or urine proteins. In very unusual cases, the excessive production of Ig involves two different types. These clinical disorders have also been known collectively as paraproteinemias or plasma cell dyscrasias (1).