Usefulness of free light chain measurement in monoclonal gammopathy, other haematological malignancies and autoimmune diseases

Immunoglobulin light chains are called free when they are not linked with heavy chains to form a whole immunoglobulin. Quantification of free light chains is a part of the French national authority for health guidelines for diagnostic and follow-up of light chain, oligo or non-secretory myeloma and AL amyloidosis. Most recently, the World health organisation had included free light chains quantification in prognostic criteria for monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. However the literature bring to light some other potential indications of this analysis in the exploration of monoclonal gammopathy, also in lymphoid malignancies and some autoimmune diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis and Sjögren syndrome.