Negative anion gap in a young adult with multiple myeloma.

A young patient with multiple myeloma was found to have a negative anion gap, with marked asymptomatic hyponatremia. The cause for his negative anion gap is thought to be the myeloma protein, which acts as a cation at physiological pH. Such a hyponatremia responds to reduction in serum concentration of paraprotein and should not be treated by sodium replacement.