Beta 2 Microglobulin details
What Beta 2 Microglobulin shows
Beta-2 microglobulin is a small protein found on the surface of nearly all of your cells, and it is shed into the blood as cells turn over. Healthy kidneys filter it out and break it down. This test measures it in serum. It is used mainly to help assess and follow blood cancers such as multiple myeloma and some lymphomas, where levels relate to how active the disease is, and it also reflects kidney filtering. A higher level can point to increased cell turnover, inflammation or reduced kidney function. A lower level is not usually a concern. It cannot diagnose cancer on its own and is interpreted alongside kidney tests and other results.
Tests that include Beta 2 Microglobulin
Beta-2-microglobulin normally passes through the glomerulus into the proximal tubule where much of it is reabsorbed. Serum levels are therefore an index of glomerular function. When impaired, serum levels rise in inverse ratio to glomerular filtration rate.
- Beta 2 Microglobulin Measures beta-2 microglobulin in serum, a small protein shed by cells, used to look at kidney function and to assess certain blood cancers.
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