Bence Jones protein

[1] Detection of Bence Jones protein may be suggestive of multiple myeloma,[2] or Waldenström's macroglobulinemia.

[citation needed] Bence Jones proteins are particularly diagnostic of multiple myeloma in the context of target organ manifestations such as kidney failure, lytic (or "punched out") bone lesions, anemia, or large numbers of plasma cells in the bone marrow.

[3] The proteins are immunoglobulin light chains (paraproteins) and are produced by neoplastic plasma cells.

They are found in urine as a result of decreased kidney filtration capabilities due to kidney failure, sometimes induced by hypercalcemia from the calcium released as the bones are destroyed, dehydration due to polyuria, amyloidosis or from the light chains themselves.

[4] More recently, serum free light chain assays have been utilised in a number of published studies which have indicated superiority over the urine tests, particularly for patients producing low levels of monoclonal free light chains, as seen in nonsecretory multiple myeloma[5][6][7] and amyloid light chain amyloidosis (AL amyloidosis).