Kappa Free Light Chain Test Cost & Procedure

A blood test called a kappa-free light chain test analyses the amount of a particular kind of protein in your blood. Often, light chains join up with other proteins known as heavy chains. They produce immunoglobulins (antibodies) and support the healthy operation of your immune system jointly. Blood-unlinked proteins are referred to be "free light chains" by medical professionals. Both kappa and lambda light chains are forms of free light chains that are present in your blood. It's typical to have a mix of the two. Free light chains outside the expected range could indicate

A kappa-free light chain test is required when?

A doctor may advise you to have a kappa-free light chain test if they think you have:

• The protein disease is amyloidosis, makes organs enlarge (a protein disorder that causes organs to thicken).
• lymphoproliferative disorder (too many lymph cells).
• Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, or MGUS (abnormal proteins in the blood; it can progress to cancer).
• multiple myelomas (plasma cell cancer, which may be kappa or lambda light chain myeloma).
• Plasmacytoma with only one cell (early-stage plasma cell cancer).
• Waldenström has macroglobulinemia (a rare type of blood cancer)

These illnesses may present with symptoms like:

• Anaemia.
• uncommon bleeding or bruising.
• bone damage.
• a bone ache.
• Your skin may develop a rash or purple patches.
• enlarged tongue.
• excessive calcium

Applications of the Kappa Test:

Various disorders that impact the cells in your bone marrow may be identified using this test. If the patient experiences any of these symptoms, including bone pain, an increase in blood protein, anaemia, hypercalcemia, kidney issues, a skin rash, nerve damage, or vasculitis. They must unquestionably do this test to determine whether they have multiple myeloma or not.

Typical outcomes would be Kappa Lambada: 3.3 -19.4 mg/L free light chains 5.71 to 26.3 mg/L of free light chains Kapada to Lambada ratio: 0.26 to 1.65.

How is a kappa-free light chain test conducted?

• Blood is required for a kappa-free light chain test.
• It simply takes a short while.
• The test could be administered to you in a hospital, a doctor's office, or a lab.
• After drawing blood into a collecting tube, they withdraw the needle from your arm.