The biology of immunoglobulin free light chains and kidney injury

Kolitha Basnayake; Stephanie J Stringer; Colin A Hutchison; Paul Cockwell

doi:10.1038/ki.2011.94

The biology of immunoglobulin free light chains and kidney injury

Kidney Int. 2011 Jun;79(12):1289-301. doi: 10.1038/ki.2011.94. Epub 2011 Apr 13.

Authors

Kolitha Basnayake¹, Stephanie J Stringer, Colin A Hutchison, Paul Cockwell

Affiliation

¹ Renal Institute of Birmingham, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. k.basnayake@bham.ac.uk

PMID: 21490587
DOI: 10.1038/ki.2011.94

Abstract

Kidney injury caused by immunoglobulin free light chains (FLCs) in the setting of plasma cell dyscrasias is common and associated with increased morbidity and mortality. All compartments of the kidney may be affected, from the glomerulus to the tubulointerstitium, in a wide variety of disease patterns. Here, we review our current knowledge of the biological effects of FLCs and the mechanisms that lead to kidney injury.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Humans
Immunoglobulin Light Chains / chemistry
Immunoglobulin Light Chains / metabolism*
Kidney / immunology*
Kidney / pathology
Kidney Diseases / immunology*
Kidney Diseases / pathology
Kidney Diseases / therapy
Paraproteinemias / complications
Paraproteinemias / immunology*
Paraproteinemias / pathology
Paraproteinemias / therapy
Plasma Cells / immunology*
Plasma Cells / pathology
Protein Conformation
Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

Immunoglobulin Light Chains