Diagnosis and monitoring a case of light-chain deposition disease in the kidney using a new, sensitive immunoassay.

A 59-year-old male was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome secondary to light-chain deposition disease. There was no other evidence of a B cell clonal disorder or amyloidosis; circulating free light chains were identified using a new immunoassay (Freelite) and used to monitor disease progression. Improvement in renal function and proteinuria following VAMP chemotherapy correlated with a reduction in circulating light-chain levels.

Randomized comparison of low-dose versus high-dose interferon-alfa in chronic myeloid leukemia: prospective collaboration of 3 joint trials by the MRC and HOVON groups.

The optimal dose of interferon-alfa (IFN) for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is unknown. Retrospective analyses suggest that low doses are as effective as high doses, with less toxicity and fewer patients abandoning the drug. The Dutch Hemato-Oncology Association (HOVON) and British Medical Research Council (MRC) cooperative groups jointly performed randomized trials in newly diagnosed CML patients, comparing high-dose IFN (5 MIU/m(2) daily) with low-dose (3 MIU, 5 times a week).