Bence

Bence Jones protein is a monoclonal globulin protein or immunoglobulin light chain found in the urine, with a molecular weight of 22-24 kDa. Detection of Bence Jones protein may be suggestive of multiple myeloma or Waldenström's macroglobulinemia.

History

The protein is named after the British physician Henry Bence Jones, who first discovered it in 1847. Bence Jones was a physician and chemist who devoted his career to the study of metabolic disorders. He discovered the protein during his research on a patient with a peculiar form of bone disease.

Biochemistry

Bence Jones proteins are produced by neoplastic plasma cells. They are monoclonal immunoglobulin light chains, either kappa (κ) or lambda (λ), and are produced in excess by an abnormal clone of plasma cells, often in the absence of the corresponding intact immunoglobulin. They are toxic to the renal tubules and may cause kidney damage, particularly if there is also hypercalcaemia.

Clinical significance

The presence of Bence Jones protein is a marker of a number of conditions, including:

• Multiple myeloma
• Waldenström's macroglobulinemia
• Other lymphoproliferative disorders

In multiple myeloma, Bence Jones proteins may be detected in the urine using protein electrophoresis, which is a laboratory technique that separates proteins based on their size and charge. The presence of these proteins in the urine is a sign of significant disease.

See also

• Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance
• Paraproteinemia
• Plasma cell dyscrasia

References

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