Abstract:

Many plasma cell diseases can affect the kidneys，leading to varing degrees of impairment in renal function.Such diseases in this paper will be referred to as kidney involved plasma cell diseases （KiPCD）.How to distinguish these diseases continuously puzzled many physicians.Although kidney biopsy can provide a clear diagnosis most of the time，it is an invasive procedure that greatly increases the diagnosis and treatment risks for patients.So non-invasive testing is more needed in clinical practice to assist the differential diagnosis.Urinary protein electrophoresis （uPEP） is a non-invasive and simple examination.It is essential in the diagnosis and treatment of plasma cell diseases.Many physicians focus solely on the presence and amount of M protein while neglecting its value in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of KiPCD.In order to further improve the clinical ability to distinguish KiPCD and let more patients receive optimal diagnosis and treatment，this article will systematically introduce uPEP and its distinct characteristics in different KiPCD.

Key words: Urinary protein electrophoresis, Plasma cell disease, Nephrosis, Multiple myeloma, Light chain amyloidosis