Amyloidosis

Facts

Amyloidosis is a potentially serious and very rare disease that involves abnormal protein (amyloid) building up in your tissues and organs.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center offers collaborative amyloidosis treatment from a team of experts who can address the wide range of health care needs you may have.

What is amyloidosis?

In amyloidosis, protein deposits can build up throughout your body, causing a broad spectrum of symptoms. It can lead to organ failure, which may be fatal.

Most often, amyloidosis affects tissues and organs (such as the kidneys, heart and nerves) throughout the body (systemic disease).
In some people, the condition is limited to a single tissue or organ, such as the lungs, skin, bladder or bowel (localized disease).
Amyloidosis isn’t cancer, but it can be associated with certain blood cancers, like multiple myeloma and Waldenström macroglobulinemia.

Symptom A physical or mental problem that a person experiences that may indicate a disease or condition. Symptoms cannot be seen and do not show up on medical tests. A physical or mental problem that a person experiences that may indicate a disease or condition. Symptoms cannot be seen and do not show up on medical tests. Some examples of symptoms are headache, fatigue, nausea and pain.

Types

There are many types of amyloidosis. These are some of the major types.

Select an option

Primary amyloidosis

Secondary amyloidosis

Familial amyloidosis

Wild-type TTR

Primary amyloidosis is also called light chain amyloidosis (AL). It occurs on its own, not as the result of another illness.

The plasma cells in your bone marrow become abnormal and produce too much of a protein called the light chain, which is part of an antibody.
Deposits of this protein typically affect the heart, kidneys, nerves and gastrointestinal (GI) system.
AL is the most common type of amyloidosis in the U.S.

Antibody A protein made by immune system cells and released into the blood. Antibodies defend the body against foreign substances, such as bacteria. Bone marrow The soft, spongy material in the center of your bones that produces all your blood cells, such as white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. Gastrointestinal Refers to the stomach and intestines. Also called GI.

Secondary amyloidosis is also called inflammatory amyloidosis or reactive amyloidosis (AA). It results from another condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis, chronic infection (like tuberculosis), inflammatory bowel disease or diabetes.

AA is rare in the U.S. and more common in developing countries, where the underlying condition is more likely to go untreated.
It happens when a protein called serum amyloid A (SAA) builds up, typically in the spleen, liver, kidneys, adrenal glands and lymph nodes.

Spleen An organ that is part of the lymphatic system. The spleen makes lymphocytes, filters the blood, stores blood cells and destroys old blood cells. It is on the left side of the abdomen near the stomach.

Familial amyloidosis is also called hereditary amyloidosis or ATTRm, for the transthyretin (TTR) gene that causes it. This type is passed down in families.

The symptoms and severity can vary.
Complications of ATTRm happen from abnormal TTR protein being deposited in organs — often the heart, nervous system and GI system.
Within ATTRm, there are many possible variations, linked with more than 100 different TTR mutations. Val30Met is one of the most prevalent ATTRm mutations in the world. Another example is a genetic variation called Val122Ile, which primarily affects African-Americans and usually causes cardiac deposits.

Other, less common, types of hereditary amyloidosis are caused by mutations in different genes, not TTR. One example is apolipoprotein amyloidosis (ApoAI).

Gene The functional and physical unit of heredity passed from parent to offspring. Genes are pieces of DNA, and most genes contain the information for making a specific protein. Gene The functional and physical unit of heredity passed from parent to offspring. Genes are pieces of DNA, and most genes contain the information for making a specific protein. Hereditary In medicine, this describes the passing of genetic information from parent to child through the genes in sperm and egg cells. Also called inherited. Symptom A physical or mental problem that a person experiences that may indicate a disease or condition. Symptoms cannot be seen and do not show up on medical tests. A physical or mental problem that a person experiences that may indicate a disease or condition. Symptoms cannot be seen and do not show up on medical tests. Some examples of symptoms are headache, fatigue, nausea and pain.

This type of amyloidosis affects older men. It used to be called senile amyloidosis, but doctors no longer use this term. Wild-type TTR (ATTRwt) causes amyloid deposits throughout the body, but it particularly affects the heart, where it can cause an irregular heart rhythm (atrial fibrillation) and congestive heart failure.

Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of amyloidosis can vary widely depending on how many organs and which organs are affected by protein deposits. Some people don't have symptoms at all or don't have them until the disease is advanced.

Here are a few examples of the range of possible symptoms.

Sign In medicine, a sign is something found during a physical exam or from a laboratory test that shows that a person may have a condition or disease. In medicine, a sign is something found during a physical exam or from a laboratory test that shows that a person may have a condition or disease. Some examples of signs are fever, swelling, skin rash, high blood pressure and high blood glucose. Symptom A physical or mental problem that a person experiences that may indicate a disease or condition. Symptoms cannot be seen and do not show up on medical tests. A physical or mental problem that a person experiences that may indicate a disease or condition. Symptoms cannot be seen and do not show up on medical tests. Some examples of symptoms are headache, fatigue, nausea and pain.

Heart-related symptoms

Shortness of breath
Abnormal heart rhythm
Chest pain
Worsening difficulty with physical activity
Fainting

Kidney-related symptoms

Foamy urine or decreased urine output
Swelling in the lower legs, belly, arms and lungs

Nerve-related symptoms

Pain, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet (examples of peripheral neuropathy)
Dizziness when standing quickly, erectile dysfunction or bowel problems (examples of autonomic neuropathy)
Carpal tunnel syndrome

Neuropathy A numbness, tingling or pain from nerve damage caused by a tumor or by treatment.

GI-related symptoms

Nausea
Diarrhea or constipation
Unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite
Thickened tongue (macroglossia)
Gastroesophageal reflux disease

Diagnosing

Amyloidosis can be difficult to diagnose because it’s such a rare disease and the signs and symptoms may be similar to many other more common conditions.

The average hematologist-oncologist in the community may see only one or two people with amyloidosis in their entire career. Unfortunately, it’s fairly common for patients to visit several doctors over many months before being accurately diagnosed.

To diagnose your condition:

Your doctor will examine you and ask about your signs, symptoms and medical history. They’ll also take into account your age, your family’s medical history and results of any tests you’ve already had.
You will have blood and urine tests to look for abnormal proteins.
You will need a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy (using a needle to remove samples of liquid and solid marrow) or a biopsy of other affected tissue (such as fat), which a pathologist will examine under a microscope.

If you have already had these tests or procedures at another facility, we may ask for your specimens to be sent here for a thorough review.

Researchers at Fred Hutch are working to develop our own mass spectrometric analysis for amyloidosis — the lab studies needed to diagnosis the condition and identify the type.

Additional tests, like an ultrasound, electrocardiogram or echocardiogram, can help your team understand how amyloidosis is affecting your body.

Biopsy The removal of a sample of tissue or fluid that is examined to see whether cancer is present. This may be done with a large needle or through surgical removal of tissue or fluids. Bone marrow The soft, spongy material in the center of your bones that produces all your blood cells, such as white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. Hematologist A physician who specializes in diseases of the blood and blood-forming tissues. Pathologist A physician who has special training in identifying diseases by studying cells and tissues under a microscope. Sign In medicine, a sign is something found during a physical exam or from a laboratory test that shows that a person may have a condition or disease. In medicine, a sign is something found during a physical exam or from a laboratory test that shows that a person may have a condition or disease. Some examples of signs are fever, swelling, skin rash, high blood pressure and high blood glucose. Symptom A physical or mental problem that a person experiences that may indicate a disease or condition. Symptoms cannot be seen and do not show up on medical tests. A physical or mental problem that a person experiences that may indicate a disease or condition. Symptoms cannot be seen and do not show up on medical tests. Some examples of symptoms are headache, fatigue, nausea and pain. Ultrasound A procedure that uses high-energy sound waves to look at tissues and organs inside the body. The sound waves make echoes that form pictures of the tissues and organs on a computer screen. A procedure that uses high-energy sound waves to look at tissues and organs inside the body. The sound waves make echoes that form pictures of the tissues and organs on a computer screen (sonogram). Ultrasound may be used to help diagnose diseases, such as cancer. It may also be used during pregnancy to check the fetus (unborn baby) and during medical procedures, such as biopsies. Also called ultrasonography.

What causes amyloidosis?

There are many different causes of amyloidosis. In the most common type, light chain amyloidosis, plasma cells in your bone marrow become abnormal and secrete an abnormal protein into your blood that can build up in your heart, kidneys, nerves and other organ systems.

Amyloidosis is more common after age 40 and more common in men than women. In some people it is linked with another disease, such as multiple myeloma.

The familial form runs in families.

Most people with amyloidosis have no known risk factors.

Bone marrow The soft, spongy material in the center of your bones that produces all your blood cells, such as white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets.

How common is amyloidosis?

Doctors estimate about 4,000 people develop primary amyloidosis in the U.S. each year, but it’s difficult to say because the disease often goes undiagnosed or the diagnosis is delayed. Secondary amyloidosis and familial amyloidosis are much less common.

Support can be especially helpful when you have an uncommon condition, like this one. The Amyloidosis Support Groups and Amyloidosis Foundation websites can help connect you with support in the Pacific Northwest or around the country.

Support and research

Support can be especially helpful when you have an uncommon condition, like this one. The Amyloidosis Support Group and Amyloidosis Foundation can help connect you with support in the Pacific Northwest or around the country. The Amyloidosis Research Consortium is a leading organization fostering research into this disease.

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