Monoclonal gammopathy in beta thalassaemia.

A rare instance of IgG-kappa monoclonal gammopathy in a patient with beta-thalassaemia trait is reported. The patient had a smoldering multiple myeloma with no apparent clinical symptoms pertaining to the disease and was a non-responder to conventional Melphalan and prednisolone therapy. Beta-thalassaemia trait was detected while investigating him for anaemia. A state of altered immunological reactivity, chronic infections and associated biliary tract disease are some of the pathogenetic mechanisms suggested. However in this patient none of these were operative.