Abstract
Nineteen patients with light-chain deposition disease (LCDD) were studied retrospectively. This report presents data on long-term patient and renal survival and the response to intermittent administration of melphalan and prednisone. Immunoelectrophoresis or immunofixation demonstrated a monoclonal protein in the serum of 78% and in the urine of 84% of the patients; 16% had no demonstrable monoclonal protein in serum or urine. The median age at presentation was 51 years (range, 37 to 77 years). Twelve (63%) of the patients had a monoclonal protein of undetermined significance without evidence of myeloma. The typical glomerular lesion was a diffuse mesangial nodular lesion that was positive for periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) stain with acute and chronic tubulointerstitial changes. Fifteen patients had κ light-chain deposition and four had λ light-chain deposition. Five-year actuarial patient survival and survival free of end-stage renal disease were 70% and 37%, respectively. Seventeen patients received melphalan and prednisone, and one patient received chlorambucil and prednisone. All of the patients had some impairment of renal function at presentation, and 58% had a serum creatinine concentration greater than 354 μmol/L (4.0 mg/dL). There was either stabilization or improvement in renal function after chemotherapy in five of eight patients who had a serum creatinine concentration less than 354 μmol/L (4.0 mg/dL) at the initiation of therapy. Of the 11 patients with a high serum creatinine concentration (>354 μmol/dL [4.0 mg/dL]), 82% progressed to end-stage renal disease despite therapy. Follow-up urine protein studies demonstrated at least a 50% decrease in urine protein excretion in five of 15 patients. We conclude that in patients with LCDD and serum creatinine concentration less than 354 μmol/L (4.0 mg/dl), intermittent administration of melphalan and prednisone may stabilize or improve renal function.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 34-41 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | American Journal of Kidney Diseases |
Volume | 20 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1992 |
Keywords
- Light-chain deposition disease
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Nephrology