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. 2021 Jun;50(2):240-248.
doi: 10.1111/vcp.12993. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Diagnostic performance of routine electrophoresis and immunofixation for the detection of immunoglobulin paraproteins (M-Proteins) in dogs with multiple myeloma and related disorders: Part 1 - Current performance

A Russell Moore  1 , R Adam Harris  1 , Christina Jeffries  1 , Laura Ashton  1 , Paul R Avery  1
Affiliations

Diagnostic performance of routine electrophoresis and immunofixation for the detection of immunoglobulin paraproteins (M-Proteins) in dogs with multiple myeloma and related disorders: Part 1 - Current performance

A Russell Moore et al. Vet Clin Pathol. 2021 Jun.

Abstract

Background: Routine electrophoresis [agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE) and capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE)] and species-specific immunofixation (IF) can be used alone or in combination to detect immunoglobulin paraprotein (M-protein) and diagnose secretory myeloma-related disorders (sMRD).

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the performance of AGE, CZE, CZE plus IF (CZE-IF), and AGE plus IF (AGE-IF) for detecting canine serum M-proteins.

Methods: One hundred canine cases that had AGE, CZE, and routine IF performed on serum, and where B-cell lineage neoplasia (such as B-cell lymphoma and plasma cell tumors) had been diagnosed or excluded, were evaluated. Routine IF protocols targeted IgG-FC, IgA, and IgM heavy chains and light chains. IgG4 IF and free light chain IF were also performed. B-cell lineage neoplasms with an M-protein detected, using any available method, were classified as sMRD. Datasets from AGE, CZE, IF, CZE-IF, and AGE-IF (electrophoretograms, gel images, and fraction concentrations) were composed and reviewed. The sensitivity, specificity, and Youden's index for M-protein detection were determined for each dataset.

Results: The combination of AGE-IF or CZE-IF was more sensitive (82.9%) than CZE alone (72.0%) or AGE alone (64.6%) and more specific (66.1%, 48.3%, 51.7%, respectively). Immunofixation could be used alone to detect M-proteins (sensitivity 82.9%, specificity 61.9%), but there were technical challenges that complicated the performance and evaluation of the test. Myeloma with free light chains only was found in 5/41 cases of sMRD.

Conclusions: Adding routine IF to routine electrophoresis increases the ability to accurately identify M-proteins; however, there is still room for further diagnostic performance improvements.

Keywords: Canis lupis familiaris; Ehrlichia; biclonal gammopathy; canine; immunotyping; monoclonal gammopathy.

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References

REFERENCES

    1. Moore AR, Avery PR. Protein characterization using electrophoresis and immunofixation; a case-based review of dogs and cats. Vet Clin Pathol. 2019;48(Suppl. 1):29-44.
    1. Moore AR, Harris RA, Jeffries C, et al. Retrospective evaluation of the use of the International Myeloma Working Group response criteria in dogs with secretory multiple myeloma. J Vet Intern Med. 2020;35:442-450.
    1. Harris AD, Rout E, Avery A, et al. Validation and method comparison of the use of densitometry to quantify monoclonal proteins in canine sera. Vet Clin Pathol. 2019;48(S1):78-87.
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