Beta-2 microglobulin Urine Test

Your healthcare provider may order this test to check for kidney damage. Along with the beta-2 microglobulin urine test, a blood test for beta-2 microglobulin may also be requested to differentiate between glomerular and tubular damage. High beta-2 microglobulin level in the blood indicates glomerular damage, while high beta-2 microglobulin level in the urine indicates tubular damage. (Read more: Beta-2 microglobulin serum test)

The following are the signs of kidney damage:

• Nausea
• Fatigue and weakness
• Brown, foamy or bloody urine
• Proteinuria
• Swelling around eyes or in the face, ankles or wrists

This test may also be ordered in the following conditions:

• To monitor a person with end-stage renal disease
• To detect signs of rejection in patients who have had a kidney transplant 
• To detect initial symptoms of kidney damage in people exposed to high levels of mercury or cadmium

Additionally, a beta-2 microglobulin may be done to monitor or check the progress of treatment in the following blood and bone marrow cancers:

• Multiple myeloma
• Lymphoma 
• Leukaemia

You do not need any preparation for this test. Certain drugs such as cisplatin, lithium, gentamicin and aminoglycoside antibiotics may increase beta-2 microglobulin levels in your body and lead to incorrect results. Radiographic contrast media and nuclear medicine procedures may affect the test results. Therefore, if you are on any medications or supplements, or have had a radiological test recently, please inform your healthcare provider.

The test is conducted on a random urine sample that you can collect at any time during the day. Your healthcare provider will give you a container and tell you how to collect the sample. The sample should be collected in the following manner:

• Label the container appropriately with your name.
• Wash your hands and genital area.
• Collect a sample ‘mid-stream’ in the container - do not collect the first or last few drops of urine. This is done to avoid contamination of the sample.
• Close the lid of the container and wash your hands thoroughly.
• Hand over the sample to the laboratory technician.

This is a simple and safe test, with no risks involved.

For the beta-2 microglobulin tumour marker test, a 24-hour urine test is performed in the following manner:

• Start collecting urine early in the morning.
• Flush away the first urine in the day. Record this time as the beginning of the 24 hour period. 
• Over the next 24 hours, collect all the urine in the container provided by the doctor. 
• When not in use, keep the container in a cooler with ice or in the refrigerator.
• As instructed, return the sample to the laboratory at the end of the 24-hour period.

Normal results:

The normal range of beta-2 microglobulin in the urine is 0-0.3 mcg/mL (micrograms per millilitre). It indicates normal tubular function.

Abnormal results:

High levels of beta-2 microglobulin are an indication of a problem in the body but do not specify what. Increase in beta-2 microglobulin levels may indicate:

• Dialysis-related amyloidosis (a disabling disease characterised by excess beta-2 microglobulin in the bone and other tissues), if the person is on long-term dialysis
• Cancers such as leukaemia, multiple myeloma and lymphoma
• Peripheral artery disease
• Kidney rejection in a person who has had a kidney transplant
• Proximal renal tubular damage which may be due to:
  • Cadmium, lithium or mercury toxicity
  • Aminoglycoside toxicity
  • Pyelonephritis (kidney infection)
  • Balkan nephropathy (a kidney disease affecting people living in areas along the river Danube)
• Viral infections like cytomegalovirus
• Some autoimmune diseases and inflammatory conditions.

If the test is used to determine the severity of your cancer, the results may be interpreted as follows:

• Increasing levels of beta-2 microglobulin: Treatment is ineffective, or the cancer is spreading.
• Decreasing levels of beta-2 microglobulin: Treatment is effective.
• Levels of beta-2-microglobulin remain stable: The cancer is stable.
• Levels initially decrease but later increase: The cancer has recurred after the initial treatment.

Your doctor will be able to explain precisely what your test results mean for you. 

Disclaimer: All results must be clinically correlated with the patient’s complaints to make a complete and accurate diagnosis. The above information is provided from a purely educational point of view and is in no way a substitute for medical advice by a qualified doctor.