text: A disorder of plasma cells (special white blood cells that produce antibodies), this is one of a group of diseases (called amyloidosis) in which protein deposits (amyloid) accumulate in one or more organ systems in the body. Primary amyloidosis is the most common type of amyloidosis in many countries including the U.S. The protein deposits in primary amyloidosis are made up of immunoglobulin light chain proteins. These light chain proteins are created in the bone marrow by malfunctioning plasma cells. Primary amyloidosis occurs by itself (in isolated form) and is not associated with any other disease. The organs most often involved in primary amyloidosis include the heart, kidneys, nervous system, and gastrointestinal tract. Amyloid deposits in these organs can cause shortness of breath, fatigue, edema (swelling of ankles and legs), dizziness upon standing, a feeling of fullness in the stomach (especially after eating), diarrhea, weight loss, enlarged tongue, and numbness of the legs and arms. In the laboratory, a great excess of protein is found in the urine. Primary amyloidosis is usually treated with chemotherapy. The drug melphalan in pill form has for years been the key chemotherapeutic agent for primary amyloidosis. More aggressive treatment is under study with intravenous melphalan plus return of the patient's own bone marrow stem cells. Stem cells are the "parent" cells formed in the bone marrow from which all blood cells develop. This approach aims to eliminate the malfunctioning plasma cells which make the amyloid light chains and to re-create a wholly healthy bone marrow.
  Amyloidosis, primary — A disorder of plasma cells (special white blood cells that produce antibodies), this is one of a group of diseases (called amyloidosis) in which protein deposits (amyloid) accumulate in one or more organ systems in the body. Primary amyloidosis… … Medical dictionary
  amyloidosis — /am euh loy doh sis/, n., pl. amyloidoses / seez/. Pathol. 1. a deposit of amyloid in tissues or organs. 2. the diseased state resulting from this deposit. [1895 1900; AMYLOID + OSIS] * * * ▪ pathology disease characterized by the… … Universalium
  Amyloidosis — A disorder that results from the abnormal deposition of a particular protein, called amyloid, in various tissues of the body. Amyloid protein can be deposited in a localized area, and not be harmful, or in can cause serious changes in virtually… … Medical dictionary
  amyloidosis — A group of diseases in which protein is deposited in specific organs (localized amyloidosis) or throughout the body (systemic amyloidosis). Amyloidosis may be either primary (with no known cause) or secondary (caused by another disease, including … English dictionary of cancer terms
  amyloidosis — n. infiltration of the liver, kidneys, spleen, and other tissues with amyloid, a starchlike substance. In primary amyloidosis the disorder arises without any apparent cause; secondary amyloidosis occurs as a late complication of such chronic… … The new mediacal dictionary
  Amyloidosis, hereditary — A familial (inherited) disorder in which protein deposits (amyloid) accumulate in one or more organ systems in the body. Hereditary amyloidosis is a relatively uncommon cause of amyloidosis. The more common forms of amyloidosis are primary an… … Medical dictionary
  Primary cutaneous amyloidosis — Infobox Disease Name = PAGENAME Caption = DiseasesDB = 29871 ICD10 = ICD9 = ICD9|277.3 ICDO = OMIM = 105250 MedlinePlus = eMedicineSubj = eMedicineTopic = MeshID = Primary cutaneous amyloidosis is a form of amyloidosis associated with oncostatin… … Wikipedia
  Cardiac amyloidosis — Infobox Disease Name = PAGENAME Caption = DiseasesDB = ICD10 = ICD9 = ICD9|277.3 ICDO = OMIM = MedlinePlus = eMedicineSubj = med eMedicineTopic = 3365 MeshID = Cardiac amyloidosis is a medical disorder, a type of amyloidosis, caused by deposits… … Wikipedia
  AL amyloidosis — AL amyloidosis, or primary amyloidosis, is the most common form of systemic amyloidosis in the US.cite journal |author=Gertz MA |title=The classification and typing of amyloid deposits |journal=Am. J. Clin. Pathol. |volume=121 |issue=6… … Wikipedia
  Амилоидоз (Amyloidosis) — поражение печени, почек, селезенки и других органов, вызываемое крахмалоподобным веществом амилоидом. При первичном амилоидозе (primary amyloidosis) заболевание возникает без каких либо видимых причин; вторичный амилоидоз (secondary amyloidosis)… … Медицинские термины