[barrysd]

Meaning of urine IFX & protein electrophoresis results?

by barrysd on Wed Oct 26, 2016 5:15 pm

Saw nephrologist 3 years ago. Test results as follows:

Bence Jones Protein (random urine ) was 1.48 mg/dl over the 0.9 top of the range

Lambda Light chain urine - less than 0.7
Kappa / lambda ratio - greater than 2.11

Doctor said nothing to be concerned about.

Saw my internist 2 weeks ago and he tested as a follow up and did:

Urine IFX Battery - No monoclonal proteins detected

Urine Protein Electrophoresis

Creatinine 24 hour 2.16 g/24 hour
Protein total 24 hour 83 mg/g creatinine
Protein total 180 mg 24 hour (top of range was 150)
100 albumin
No globulins

Doctor said no Bence Jones and then I questioned how he deducted that and he said from the IFX if I remember correctly. He was surprised when I told him the nephrologist did a Bence Jone protein test and he said he would look into it.

Can the presence of Bence Jones proteins be determined with the IFX?

He also did a urine protein electrophoresis. Is the 180 on the protein something I should explore further?

I have been having a lot of bubbles in my urine and my dad died of amyloid a long time ago and I know amyloid can create proteinuria. Do any of the above test address amyloid or Bence Jones? I though I was tested once years ago for amyloid and the test was a type of electrophoresis. My doc is trying to learn more about what the 180 means and if it should be addressed further.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Multibilly]

Re: Meaning of urine IFX & protein electrophoresis results?

by Multibilly on Wed Oct 26, 2016 7:56 pm

BarrySD,

Your nephrologist's earlier test results don't sound quite right to me. No amount of Bence Jones proteins (MONOCLONAL free light chains in the urine, aka a urine M-spike) are normal in a urine sample. That is, there is no "normal range" for Bence Jones proteins in one's urine.

In your latest 24-hour test, if your results said "Urine IFX Battery - No monoclonal proteins detected", that is the same as saying no Bence Jones proteins were detected. Put another way, Bence Jones proteins are the only kind of monoclonal proteins that may be found in one's urine.

However, it does sound like you have some some excess total protein in your urine (proteinuria). Amyloidosis can indirectly cause proteinuria since it can impact one's kidney function and thereby raise one's total urine protein level. But other things can also cause proteinuria, including blood pressure, medications, and kidney disease.

I'm not a doc, but I believe one can have amyloidosis, yet not have Bence Jones proteins show up in their urine. So, given your family history, it might make sense to track this possibility down with a good hematologist/oncologist that specializes in multiple myeloma. To diagnose amyloidosis, you would need to run a quick biopsy test on a suspected, affected organ (such as a kidney in your case) or on some fat from your tummy.