Minimal residual disease (MRD) detection in B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) patients has been shown to be possible using the rearranged heavy (IgH) chain gene as a tumor marker. To explore a second independent tumor marker, we used specific PCR primer sets to identify tumor-specific rearranged Ig light chain (IgL) genes. Rearranged IgL genes were amplified from lymphoma DNA by multiplex PCR using separate primer sets for the Igkappa and the Iglambda genes. They were considered to be of tumor origin if they were monoclonal, and if the same rearrangement was isolated from at least two independent PCR products. From 12 out of 13 intermediate- and high-grade malignant NHL, PCR products could be obtained with IgL specific primers. PCR products from five NHL were studied in detail by cloning and sequencing. The rearranged IgL genes showed 85-100% homology with their closest germ line counterparts. Intraclonal IgL sequence heterogeneity was studied in five lymphomas and detected in only one. Minimal disease was studied in three patients by PCR, followed by Southern hybridization of the PCR product with a lymphoma-specific oligonucleotide probe, which allowed for detection of lymphoma DNA following 1000-fold dilution. Blood samples from one patient, who is in long-term clinical remission, were negative for the lymphoma-specific rearranged Igkappa gene. In the second patient the rearranged Iglambda gene was detected during the first clinical remission, that was followed by a nodal relapse, but not during the second remission, that has been stable for almost 3 years now. The third patient was negative for the rearranged Iglambda gene in blood samples up to 102 months after diagnosis. Circulating lymphoma cells were detected in blood and bone marrow samples which were negative by morphological and immunological criteria. Our studies show that the rearranged IgL gene can be used as a second independent tumor marker in intermediate- and high-grade malignant NHL.