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Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is a benign condition, characterized by elevated levels of a monoclonal immunoglobulin (M-Ig) in the serum (< 30 g/L) but without any end-organ damage. Recently, the term monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance (MGRS) was introduced to describe several severe conditions that, similar to MGUS, emerge from the abnormal secretion of an M-Ig; unlike MGUS though, MGRS has a detrimental effect on renal function.
The primary cause of both MGUS and MGRS is the existence of a defective B-cell clone, which results in abnormal M-Ig secretion. Jean Paul Fermand from the Saint-Louis Hospital in Paris, France, and colleagues introduced a new term, monoclonal gammopathy of clinical significance (MGCS), to describe a set of pathologies derived from abnormally-functioning B-cell clones, and which lead to severe organ damage. The study was published in the journal Blood in July 2018.
The term MGCS can be used to encompass a series of monoclonal gammopathies that share as common feature abnormal levels of an M-Ig and whose origin lies on a defective B-cell clone. Uncontrolled proliferation of this clone may lead to deleterious defects and severe organ damage; thus, identifying and treating these conditions early, can help limit their pathogenic consequences.
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