{"id":1460,"date":"2023-03-02T16:34:36","date_gmt":"2023-03-02T16:34:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/?p=1460"},"modified":"2023-03-02T16:34:37","modified_gmt":"2023-03-02T16:34:37","slug":"amyloidosis-causes-of-this-rare-condition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/?p=1460","title":{"rendered":"Amyloidosis: Causes of This Rare Condition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The first thing to understand about amyloidosis is that it\u2019s not a single disease, but several diseases. Just as the word \u201ccancer\u201d refers to a group of diseases, amyloidosis is the name for a group of diseases, too. In amyloidosis, each type is caused by the abnormal production of protein. (1<\/a>) But all types of amyloidosis are very rare: it\u2019s estimated that there are less than 200,000 people in the United States with amyloidosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Proteins are the human body\u2019s building blocks, and proteins are made of chains of molecules called amino acids<\/a>, according to MedlinePlus<\/a>. Nearly every cell in your body gets instructions from DNA on how to build proteins from amino acids. Depending on the way these proteins assemble, they can act as chemical messengers or form muscle, bone, ligaments, tendons, or tissue, according to Science News Explores<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In some instances, the body produces an abnormal protein called amyloid, which can accumulate over time. And when enough of this amyloid builds up \u2014 either in one part of the body or in several places at once \u2014 the resulting symptoms and medical issues are known collectively as amyloidosis. (1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo understand amyloid, you have to understand that everything your body produces is normally biodegradable and recyclable,\u201d says Morie Gertz, MD<\/a>, an amyloidosis expert and professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic. \u201cAmyloid is what happens when protein loses the ability to be degraded.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That happens because the protein molecules \u201cmisfold\u201d and form a chemical structure that the body can\u2019t break apart, Dr. Gertz says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like that big island of floating plastic in the Pacific Ocean that keeps getting bigger and bigger, the amyloid your body can\u2019t break apart continues to accumulate and eventually causes health issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collectively, the different types of amyloidosis affect fewer than 200,000 Americans, according to current estimates from the National Institutes of Health. (1) However, some experts who study the disease believe those government estimates may be way too low due to many patients being misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed. For instance, the National Organization for Rare Disorders<\/a> estimates there are 4,000 new cases of AL amyloidosis, one of the most common amyloidosis types, per year. Nonetheless, experts agree that amyloidosis is a rare disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are roughly 30 varieties of abnormal protein that produce amyloid and that can therefore cause amyloidosis, says Raymond Comenzo, MD<\/a>, a professor at the Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston and the director of the school\u2019s John C. Davis Myeloma and Amyloid Program. But some types of protein are more likely than others to develop abnormalities. These are the most common types of amyloidosis and some of the proteins that cause them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AL Amyloidosis Starts in Blood Cells That Come From Bone Marrow<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

AL amyloidosis, also called primary amyloidosis, is one of the most common types of amyloidosis. It\u2019s diagnosed in approximately 4,500 people each year, according to the Amyloidosis Foundation, most of whom are between ages 50 and 80. (3<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AL amyloidosis starts in the blood cells produced in bone marrow, which is a fatty substance tucked inside the hollow chambers of bones. These blood cells are responsible for making antibodies that are part of your immune system\u2019s defenses against foreign invaders, Gertz explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In people with AL amyloidosis<\/a>, some of these protein molecules \u2014 specifically, a kind called \u201clight chain\u201d proteins \u2014 don\u2019t form properly. This improper assembly results in the buildup of amyloid. It\u2019s not clear exactly why these protein molecules begin misassembling in the first place. (4<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem with amyloidosis starting in bone marrow is that the resulting amyloid can accumulate in many different parts of the body \u2014 including the heart, kidneys, and gut. As a result, AL amyloidosis can cause a number of different symptoms. These include shortness of breath<\/a> or an irregular heartbeat<\/a>, swelling of the legs, tingling or loss of feeling in the arms or legs, and carpal tunnel syndrome<\/a>. (5<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AL amyloidosis is related to multiple myeloma<\/a>, which is a type of cancer<\/a> that starts in the same cells in the bone marrow. Some drugs developed to treat multiple myeloma<\/a> can help people with AL amyloidosis, too. (4) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

RELATED: <\/strong>What Are the Treatment Options for Multiple Myeloma?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depending on how quickly someone with AL amyloidosis receives a correct diagnosis, drugs can be very effective, Gertz says. So can some types of bone marrow transplants, chemotherapy, and other symptom-specific treatments, he says. But just as AL amyloidosis symptoms vary a lot from one person with the condition to another, the prognosis also differs greatly from person to person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More About AL Amyloidosis Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

AA Amyloidosis Is in Part the Result of Another Inflammatory Disease<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Unlike most other forms of amyloidosis, AA amyloidosis tends to show up in people who have another disease \u2014 a \u201ccomorbidity.\u201d In the case of AA amyloidosis, the comorbidities tend to be inflammatory in nature, such as rheumatoid arthritis<\/a> and inflammatory bowel diseases, including ulcerative colitis<\/a> and Crohn\u2019s disease<\/a>. (6<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These inflammatory diseases are in fact partly to blame for the development of AA amyloidosis. In response to inflammation, the liver produces high levels of a protein called serum amyloid A, or SAA. These SAA proteins help carry immune cells to inflamed parts of the body. But in patients who develop AA amyloidosis, the production of these SAA proteins is abnormal, and the body is unable to break apart the abnormal proteins from the healthy normal ones that carry immune cells throughout the body. (7<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem tends to lead to the buildup of amyloid in a person\u2019s kidneys. This buildup often causes a cluster of symptoms known as \u201cnephrotic syndrome,\u201d which includes high blood pressure, fatigue, unexplained weight gain, and other symptoms that also turn up in a range of unrelated health conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other AA amyloidosis symptoms<\/a> include: (7)<\/p>\n\n\n\n