Immunoglobulins in multiple myeloma

The electrophoretic pattern of serum proteins in a normal subject is shown in panel A. The area containing proteins of "gamma" mobility is shown in the blue boxed area. This area contains most of the immunoglobulins. For the patient with multiple myeloma (panel B), there is a monoclonal immunoglobulin band in the gamma mobility region (asterisk), but little or no protein staining in the rest of the gamma mobility region, suggesting the presence of reduced amounts of normal polyclonal immunoglobulins.