Animals with paraproteinemias commonly exhibit clinical signs of bleeding, including epistaxis, petechiae, gingival bleeding and bleeding into the gastrointestinal tract. Monoclonal gamma globulins (especially IgM and IgA) coat platelets, interfering with platelet aggregation, adhesion and phospholipid exposure. Some also interact directly with coagulation factors, inhibiting secondary hemostasis. Very high gamma globulin concentrations are usually associated with some lymphoid or plasma cell neoplasms, although they can occasionally be seen as an atypical responses to some infectious diseases (e.g. Ehrlichiosis) and inflammatory conditions (e.g. pyoderma, lymphoplasmacytic enteritis). In the latter "reactive" monoclonal gammopathies, the immunoglobulin class is usually IgG.
|
