title: Nucleolar size in benign and malignant plasma cell proliferation;.
abstract: Nucleolar and nuclear size of bone marrow plasma cells has been studied in 26 cases of myeloma, 19 of benign essential monoclonal gammapathy (BEMG) and 9 without an M-component. Bone marrow smears were Feulgen-stained to visualize nucleoli and nuclei. Nucleolar area, nuclear area and the ratio nucleolar area/nuclear area were calculated. The myeloma group differed from the other two groups in having plasma cells with larger nucleoli, larger nuclei and an increased ratio nucleolar area/nuclear area. No difference was found between the BEMG group and the cases without an M-component. In some cases--in which the absence of osteolytic lesions at X-ray examination, a low plasma cell percentage in bone marrow smears or a low M-component concentration initially made the diagnosis of myeloma uncertain--the observation of enlarged nucleoli could help to establish the diagnosis. Three cases were observed in which the onset of myeloma was preceded by a long period of essentially unchanged M-component concentration. In these cases a sudden increase of M-component concentration was accompanied by an increase of mean nucleolar size of bone marrow plasma cells.
mesh_terms: D001536:Bence Jones Protein; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001796:Blood Protein Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D001856:Bone Marrow Examination; D002455:Cell Division; D002466:Cell Nucleolus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002999:Clone Cells; D004590:Electrophoresis, Paper; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000032:analysis; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005719:gamma-Globulins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D005719:gamma-Globulins; D001536:Bence Jones Protein