We present the case of a 69-years-old man who was admitted to hospital
with multiple myeloma. IgG-κ type monoclonal protein was detected in the
serum. When we separated the serum obtained from blood sample of the patient
and the lid of the collecting tube was opened, the patient's serum became
gelled immediately.
When the lid of the collecting tube remained closed, the patient's serum
did not become gelled even at 4℃. Moreover, the gelled serum of the patient
did not resolve at 56℃. Taken together, these results indicated that gel
formation of the patient's serum may not be due to cryoglobulin.
It was found that the pH of the patient's serum elevated to pH 8.0 quickly
after exposed to air. It was also found that the patient's serum, but not
the sera of other IgG-κ multiple myeloma patients, became gelled as soon
as PBS of pH 8.0 was added. These results highly suggest that the patient's
serum becomes gelled at pH 8.0. However, the isoelectric focusing of isolated
precipitation in the patient showed fractions around the pH 8.5～8.7 zone,
which was different from the pH at which the precipitation began to form.
We think that this may be the first report of a multiple myeloma patient
whose serum becomes gelled after exposed to air.
[Rinsho Byori 50 : 404～409, 2002]
*1Department of Clinical Laboratory, Kobe City General Hospital, Kobe 650-0046
【Key Words】multiple myeloma(多発性骨髄腫)，monoclonal protein(M 蛋白)，precipitate(沈殿物)，exposure
to air(空気接触)，isoelectric focusing(等電点)
受付2001年3月13日・受理2002年1月18日
*1～6神戸市立中央市民病院臨床検査技術部，*7同 免疫血液内科(〒650-0046
神戸市中央区港島中町4-6)
*8神戸市健康保険組合診療所(〒650-0001 神戸市中央区加納町6-5-1)
E-mail :oita@sky.sannet.ne.jp