Signs & Symptoms of Light Chain Disease

Light chain disease is a very rare disorder in which a person's antibodies are not normally produced. These pieces of antibodies, called light chains, attach (deposit) themselves to tissues throughout the body, causing an immune disorder known as Light Chain Deposit Disease.

Low Antibodies

• One sign of Light Chain Deposit Disease (LCDD) is a low concentration of antibodies in a person's blood. This is because the antibodies are incomplete or non-functional. A simple blood test can measure blood antibodies.

Proteinuria

• Proteinuria is a sign of LCDD where protein is passed in the urine. Normally, the kidneys do not allow large proteins to get into the urine. However, the light chains of antibodies, called Bence-Jones proteins, are proteins small enough to make it through the kidney's filtering system.

Renal Insufficiency

• A large amount of light chains attaching to the kidneys cause renal insufficiency, where the kidneys progressively lose their ability to filter the blood and make urine. Initially undetected, renal insufficiency leads to increased toxins in the body.

Symptoms

• People with symptoms of LCDD do not feel any outward symptoms until the light chains begin to interfere in the function of other organs. When the kidneys are involved, there might be rear abdominal pain. Weakness may also be present because the kidneys, which aid in the production of blood cells, are impaired.

Diagnosis and Treatment

• Diagnosis of LCDD may be a simple as a blood test or as invasive as a kidney biopsy, where a small piece of kidney is taken and analyzed under the microscope. What test to use depends on how the patient presents and what the patient's symptoms are.