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Viscosity of paraproteinemic sera
12nd Department of Medicine, Charles University, Faculty of Medicine.
Acta Medica (Hradec Kralove)
|January 1, 1996
Summary
Elevated serum viscosity is common in paraproteinemia, affecting over 20% of patients. A significant portion of these cases, particularly those with high viscosity, are linked to malignant monoclonal gammopathy and hyperviscosity syndrome.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Clinical Chemistry
Background:
- Paraproteinemia, characterized by the presence of abnormal proteins in the blood, can lead to various clinical complications.
- Increased blood viscosity is a potential consequence of paraproteinemia, impacting patient health and disease progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of elevated serum viscosity in paraproteinemic sera.
- To correlate serum viscosity levels with clinical manifestations of hyperviscosity syndrome and specific paraprotein types.
Main Methods:
- Serum viscosity was measured using an ultrasonic viscosimeter in 1402 paraproteinemic sera.
- Serum viscosity was expressed in relative units (ru).
- Clinical data, including hyperviscosity syndrome symptoms and paraprotein types (IgM, IgG, IgA), were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Increased viscosity (> 2.1 ru) was observed in 20.5% (288/1402) of sera.
- Clinical hyperviscosity syndrome was present in 3% (44/1402) of cases, all associated with viscosity > 4.0 ru and malignant monoclonal gammopathy.
- Mean viscosity varied among paraprotein types: IgM (6.35 +/- 2.6 ru), IgG (6.38 +/- 2.4 ru), and IgA (5.22 +/- 1.02 ru).
Conclusions:
- Elevated serum viscosity is a frequent finding in paraproteinemia.
- High viscosity levels are strongly associated with malignant monoclonal gammopathy and the hyperviscosity syndrome.
- Different paraprotein types exhibit varying impacts on serum viscosity.