2020/01/30 by Catherine Atkin, Vinay Reddy‐Kolanu, Mark T. Drayson +3 · 26 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Medicine · #Amyloidosis: Diagnosis, Treatment, Outcomes #Antibody #Blood disorders and treatments #Immunofixation #Immunology #Internal medicine #Kidney disease #Medicine #Monoclonal #Monoclonal antibody #Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance #Multiple Myeloma Research and Treatments #Multiple myeloma #Pediatrics #Population #Serum protein electrophoresis
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/bjh.16487
published in British Journal of Haematology 189(6), 1127-1135 (Wiley)
openalex publication_date 2020/01/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/25
Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) affects 3·2% of adults aged >50 years. MGUS carries a life-long risk of progression to multiple myeloma and causes complications including infection and renal impairment; common causes of hospital admission. This study aimed to assess MGUS prevalence in emergency medical hospital admissions. Patients were recruited from unselected emergency medical admissions in a hospital in the United Kingdom. Serum protein electrophoresis was performed, with immunofixation of abnormal results. Reason for admission and routine test results were recorded. After education about MGUS and myeloma, patients chose whether they wished to be informed of new diagnoses. A total of 660 patients were tested and 35 had a paraprotein suggestive of MGUS. The overall rate of MGUS was 5·3%. MGUS prevalence in those aged >50 years was 6·94%, higher than the previously published rate of 3·2% (P < 0·0005). There were higher rates in those with chronic kidney disease (13·75% vs. 4·14%, P = 0·002), heart failure (14% vs. 4·59%, P = 0·012), anaemia (8·96% vs. 3·41%, P = 0·003) or leucocytosis (9·33% vs. 3·04%, P = 0·002). In all, 96% of patients wished to be informed of their screening results. The prevalence of MGUS in emergency hospital admissions is higher than expected based on previous population-based rates. This may suggest a selected population for screening.