Polyclonal Gammopathy Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

Every individual have a defence system in his body which protects the body against invading pathogens. It consists of immunoglobulins. Whenever a pathogen invades inside body and causes any infection, the defense system of body get activated against it and produces antibodies against that pathogenic antigen. As we all know that excess of everything is bad, so increased level of immunoglobulins above the usual limit is known as gammopathy.

Polyclonal gammopathy is not a disorder but it is a strong or potent immunoglobulin response against infections. Polyclonal gammopathy does not occur in response to mild or acute infections but it only occurs in response to chronic infections or chronic diseases. Diseases of liver and collagen commonly leads to polyclonal gammopathy. Other diseases or infections which arise polyclonal gammopathy include scleroderma, primary biliary cirrhosis, polymyositis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fungal infections, chronic bronchitis, systemic lupus eryhtmatous, tuberculosis, infectious hepatitis and chronic active hepatitis.

So symptoms of polyclonal gammopathy are associated with the underlying cause. The treatment strategy is also designed according to the leading cause because treating the disease or infection automatically decrease the level of immunoglobulins.

Polyclonal Gammopathy Symptoms

In most of the cases polyclonal gammopathy does not show symptoms. Symptoms appearing may be associated with the underlying cause. But some common symptoms which appear in almost all infections and diseases are stress, fatigue, depressed mood, pain in the specified area of infection and anxious mood. Remaining symptoms are specified by the underlying disease or infection. It is asymptomatic because it only appears in response to chronic diseases and infections as a potent response. It is not a disorder or disease, but it has a plus point, that it successfully eliminates infectious pathogen from body.

Polyclonal Gammopathy Causes

Polyclonal gammopathy is a potent response against chronic diseases or infection. Some common diseases which leads to polyclonal gammopathy involve tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis, osteomyelitis, trauma with slow healing process, chronic bronchitis, scleroderma, chronic fungal infections, syphilis, metastatic carcinoma, polymyositis, primary biliary cirrhosis PBC, infectious hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis CAH, rheumatoid arthritis RA, leishmaniasis also known as kala azar, chronic malaria, filariasis and systemic lupus eryhtmatous SLE. Other than these serum protein electrophoresis SPE strongly increase the level of gamma globulin leading to polyclonal gammopathy. the primary cause of polyclonal gammopathy should be known to design treatment strategy.

Polyclonal Gammopathy Treatment

Polyclonal gammopathy is not a disorder but a potent response which occurs in response to chronic diseases and infections. So treating the underlying cause will automatically decrease the level of immunoglobulins and polyclonal gammopathy will be treated.  As it is an asymptomatic disease, so it does not even require medication to relief symptoms. If cancer is the cause, chemotherapy will help a lot. Otherwise antibiotics are prescribed to treat infection. It only occurs in response to chronic diseases and infections so immediate diagnosis and treatment is required. If left untreated, it can cause death.