Differences among the three major categories of paraproteinaemias in aging man and the mouse. A minireview.

The frequency of homogeneous immunoglobulins markedly increases with aging. These homogeneous Ig, paraproteins, reflect three different major categories of disorders within the immune system: B-cell malignancies; B-cell benign proliferative disorders; and Secondary immunodeficiency, a T-B immune system imbalance due to aging. A correct differential diagnosis among these conditions is crucial for the prognosis and potential treatment. Recent studies in animal models offer some clues which are helpful for our better understanding of the mechanism of the development of the paraproteinemias and for their differential diagnosis.