Prevalence And Predictive Factors Of Biopsy-Proven Nephropathy Related To Monoclonal Gammopathy

Abstract Background and Aims The prevalence of monoclonal gammopathy (MG) and kidney disease increases with age. When a patient present with both conditions, it is often necessary to perform a kidney biopsy in order to rule out a Monoclonal Immunoglobulin-Related Nephropathy (MIRN) that may require a specific therapy that targets either an overt hematological malignancy or a MG or Renal Significance (MGRS). The aim of our study was to identify factors that predict the presence of MIRN in this setting. Method This retrospective monocentric study included all patients who underwent a kidney biopsy between 2007 and 2018 with concurrent presence of GM, as defined by positive serum immuno-electrophoresis and/or Bence-Jones proteinuria. Results 328 patients were included, representing 11.8% of all kidney biopsies performed in our center during this period. Indication of biopsy was renal failure (eGFR <60ml/min/1.73m) in 77.4% of cases and/or proteinuria (urine protein-to-creatinine ratio >0.5g/g) in 75.9% of them. Median (IQR) serum creatinine was 155 μmol/L (111-233), eGFR 37.5 (22-56) ml/min/1.73m, serum albumin 29.5 (24-35) g/l. Median age was 67 (57/75), the M/F ratio was 198/130, diabetes mellitus was present in 21.3% of cases, hypertension in 53.1%. Kidney biopsy revealed that nephropathy was related to MG in 91/328 patients (27.7%). Myeloma cast nephropathy and AL amyloidosis were the most common histopathological subtypes (36 and 34% respectively), followed by monoclonal immunoglobulin deposition disease (15%) and cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis (8%). Patients with MIRN had more severe renal function impairment with median (IQR) serum creatinine of 176 (119-307) vs 149 (108-216) μmol/l (p=0.003) and heavier proteinuria, 3.9 (2.2-8.2) vs 2.0 (0.9-5.2) g/g (p< 0.001), when compared to non-MIRN patients. Hematological malignancy was diagnosed in 83 cases (25,3%) (Multiple Myeloma in 62, non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in 6, Waldenström Macroglobulinemia in 6, Chronic Lymphoid Leukemia in 6, Plasmocytoma in 3). Among them, MIRN was diagnosed in 51 (61%) cases but tumoral lympho-plasmocytic infiltration was observed in 9 (11%) cases. In this subgroup of patients, no laboratory test could predict the presence of a specific nephropathy. Among patients with no hematological malignancy (n=245), MIRN was diagnosed in 40 cases (16%) to confirm MGRS diagnosis. The markers that were most commonly associated with the presence of MGRS were positive Bence-Jones proteinuria (OR 4.7; 95%CI 2.2-10.3; p< 0.001), abnormal serum Free Light Chain (FLC) ratio (OR 4.2; 95%CI 1.7-10.7; p< 0.001), and serum electrophoresis spike >1.5 g/l (OR 5.9; 95%CI 2.6-13.5; p< 0.001). However, none of those markers had sufficient power to formally predict the result of the biopsy, as positive (PPV) or negative (NPV) predictive values were 36/41/45 % and 89/86/88 % respectively. Conclusion Almost one-third of patients with MG and kidney disease referred to our Department have biopsy-proven related nephropathy. Although negativity of Bence-Jones proteinuria and a normal serum FLC ratio are frequently associated with the absence of MGRS, kidney biopsy, beyond its diagnostic and prognostic interest, remains the most discriminating test.