Characterizing Monoclonal Gammopathies in an East Moroccan Population: University Hospital Findings.

Abstract

Background: Monoclonal gammopathies (MG) are frequent, especially among older people. This study aims to establish the features and etiologies of MG detected over seven years in the Biochemistry department of Mohammed VI University Hospital in Morocco. Methods: The study was performed from Jan 1, 2016, to Sept 1, 2023, and involved 224 patients residing in east Morocco. The diagnosis of MG was conducted through capillary zone electrophoresis, followed by confirmation through immunofixation. Results: The study included 224 patients, with an average age at diagnosis of 65.91 years. There were 122 (54.46%) males and 102 (45.54%) females, for a sex ratio of 1.19. In terms of immunoglobulin isotypes, IgG was found to be the most common monoclonal protein (59.82%), followed by IgA (19.64%) and IgM (6.71%). Furthermore, 11.6% of cases had exclusive free light chain (FLC) secretion, and 2.23% had biclonal gammopathy. The distribution of diagnoses in our study included multiple myeloma (MM) (78.57%), lymphoma (5.35%), plasma cell leukemia (4.02%), Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) (3.57%), and MGUS (1.79%). Conclusions: Our study noted the high frequency of MM over MGUS. Several factors could contribute to this prevalence, including variations in healthcare access, demographic characteristics, and potentially other elements that warrant further investigation.