Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41782889›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in immunology2026

Kappa free light chain index in CSF diagnostics: the impact of different immunoglobulin isotypes.

Martin Schmidauer, Klaus Berek, Michael Auer, Franziska Di Pauli, Fabian Föttinger, Nik Krajnc, Florian Deisenhammer, Gabriel Bsteh, Janette Walde, Harald Hegen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in immunology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Martin Schmidauer *Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Klaus Berek *Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Michael AuerDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Franziska Di PauliDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Fabian FöttingerDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Nik KrajncDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Florian DeisenhammerDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Gabriel BstehDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Janette WaldeDepartment of Statistics, Faculty of Economics and Statistics, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Harald HegenDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The kappa free light chain (κ-FLC) index is a sensitive marker of intrathecal immunoglobulin (Ig) synthesis and is increasingly used in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis of patients with suspected multiple sclerosis (MS). The relative contribution of the different Ig isotypes to intrathecal κ-FLC production remains unclear. Methods: We retrospectively analysed CSF data from patients with a first demyelinating event suggestive of MS enrolled in studies at the Medical Universities of Innsbruck and Vienna. Of all included patients, results on Ig and κ-FLC concentrations in CSF and serum were available. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the impact of Ig intrathecal fractions (IF) on κ-FLC index. Results: A total of 188 patients with a median age of 31 (25-39) years and a predominantly female sex distribution (62%) were included. The κ-FLC index was significantly higher in patients with isolated intrathecal IgG synthesis [32.5 (17.7-81.0); n=130] compared to patients without intrathecal immunoglobulin production [3.0 (2.0-5.9); p<0.001; n=18] and was further elevated in patients with both intrathecal IgG and IgM synthesis [68.4 (48.4-120.6); n=29]. Both IgG and IgM IF independently contributed to the κ-FLC index in linear regression analysis, with IgG IF having approximately 3.5 times the effect size of IgM IF. Exploratory analysis of the contribution of IgA IF to κ-FLC index revealed qualitatively the same results. Conclusion: Increase of κ-FLC index in patients with MS is predominantly due to an intrathecal IgG synthesis, while the contribution of intrathecal IgM is less frequent and quantitatively low.

Indexed as

Immunoglobulin IsotypesImmunoglobulin kappa-ChainsMultiple SclerosisAdultBiomarkersFemaleHumansImmunoglobulin GImmunoglobulin MMaleRetrospective StudiesBiomarkersImmunoglobulin GImmunoglobulin IsotypesImmunoglobulin kappa-ChainsImmunoglobulin Mbiomarkercrebrospinal fluiddiagnosticIgGIgMKappa (κ) FLCmultiple sclerosis

Identifiers

PMID41782889
PMCPMC12953090

What Socratic holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.