Metabolism in Bence-Jones Proteinuria

Although the object of study for more than sixty years considerable theoretical interest is still attached to the condition known as Bence-Jones proteinuria, not only because of its comparative rarity but on account of the fact that our knowledge of the origin of the body known as BenceJones protein is still very incomplete, On account of the small number of cases on which any systematic observations have been made every example of this interesting condition may still be looked upon as offering a field for investigation.To account for the origin of the Bence-Jones protein three theories have been advanced.According to the earliest of these this peculiar protein is manufactured in the diseased areas of bone marrow, and being a "foreign protein" is on passage into the blood stream excreted unchanged by the kidneys.The second theory was that proposed in 1900 by Magnus-Levy.lAccording to this investigator it is inconceivable that the relatively small areas of diseased bone marrow should be able to produce the large amounts of Bence-Jones protein found in the urine in some cases.He therefore suggests that this protein is formed in the intestine as the result of abnormal and unknown conditions present in the bowel.If this theory be true there should be a direct relation between the amount and possibly the kind of protein in the diet and the amount of excreted albumose, a relation which Magnus-Levy believed he was able to demonstrate.As it happens "Witte'sPeptone" and other peptic digestion mixtures do contain large quantities of an albumose,2 which in 1 Zeitschr.