%0 Journal Article
%T Laboratory Diagnosis of Intrathecal Synthesis of Immunoglobulins: A Review about the Contribution of OCBs and K-index.
%A Morello M
%A Mastrogiovanni S
%A Falcione F
%A Rossi V
%A Bernardini S
%A Casciani S
%A Viola A
%A Reali M
%A Pieri M
%J Int J Mol Sci
%V 25
%N 10
%D 2024 May 9
%M 38791208
%F 6.208
%R 10.3390/ijms25105170
%X The diagnosis of MS relies on a combination of imaging, clinical examinations, and biological analyses, including blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) assessments. G-Oligoclonal bands (OCBs) are considered a "gold standard" for MS diagnosis due to their high sensitivity and specificity. Recent advancements have involved the introduced of kappa free light chain (k-FLC) assay into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum (S), along with the albumin quotient, leading to the development of a novel biomarker known as the "K-index" or "k-FLC index". The use of the K-index has been recommended to decrease costs, increase laboratory efficiency, and to skip potential subjective operator-dependent risk that could happen during the identification of OCBs profiles. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview and analysis of recent scientific articles, focusing on updated methods for MS diagnosis with an emphasis on the utility of the K-index. Numerous studies indicate that the K-index demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity, often comparable to or surpassing the diagnostic accuracy of OCBs evaluation. The integration of the measure of the K-index with OCBs assessment emerges as a more precise method for MS diagnosis. This combined approach not only enhances diagnostic accuracy, but also offers a more efficient and cost-effective alternative.