24-Hour Urine Kappa-Lambda Light Chain Excretion Quantitative Test
The 24-Hour Urine Kappa-Lambda Light Chain Excretion Quantitative Test measures the total amount of free kappa (κ) and lambda (λ) immunoglobulin light chains excreted in urine over a 24-hour period, as well as the κ/λ ratio. These light chains are small protein fragments produced by plasma cells; when excessive amounts are produced (such as in Multiple Myeloma or other plasma-cell dyscrasias) they may overwhelm the kidney’s reabsorption capacity and appear in the urine (sometimes historically as Bence Jones protein).