Light Chain Blood Disorder

[Orleander]

We just had a State Rep die. He had a blood disorder called light chain. I looked it up and I still don't know what it is. Can anyone translate this for me? What are light chains?

The disease is a disorder of the antibody-producing cells of the body, where an excess amount of light chains are produced

 

[S.A.M.]

If you look at the structure of immunoglobulins they have a part known as light chains. In light chain deposition disease an excess of light chains are formed and they combine with other substances in blood to form a sticky protein which is deposited in organs leading to organ failure

Each immunoglobulin protein is made up of two heavy and two light chains, linked by disulfide bonds. Each heavy chain is 446 amino acids in length and consists of a variable region (shown in red) spanning amino acids 1–108 followed by a constant region. Each light chain is 214 amino acids, again with an N-terminal variable region of 108 amino acids. Additional disulfide bonds form between different parts of individual chains: these and other interactions fold the protein into a more complex three-dimensional structure.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bookshelf/br.fcgi?book=genomes&part=A7874

 

[Orleander]

does the blood look different under a microscope?

 

[S.A.M.]

I'd have to look it up, but from what I recall [and I may be mistaken] you don't really see the deposition in serum, only in the organs. Usually it manifests as a kidney disease, nephrotic syndrome.

edit:
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/202585-overview