Diagnosis and therapy of immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis (AL amyloidosis)

Abstract

Amyloidosis is a group of disorders that have in common the deposition of protein fibrils composed of protofibrils that have a crystallographic β(beta)-pleated sheet structure. Disease results from these proteinaceous deposits in one or more organ systems [1]. The clinical presentation of amyloidosis varies greatly depending on the protein subunit of the amyloid fibril and the organs in which fibril deposition occurs [2]. Amyloidosis is classified on the basis of the structural subunit of the amyloid fibril protein.