Monoclonal antibody Ki-67 as a marker of proliferative activity in monoclonal gammopathies.
In 16 patients with monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance (MGUS) and in 49 with multiple myeloma (MM, 43 untreated and 6 relapsed) we used immunocytochemistry to determine the percentages of bone marrow plasma cells (BMPC) that incorporate bromodeoxyuridine (BUDR-labeling index, BUDR-LI) in vitro and that label with the monoclonal antibody Ki-67 (which recognizes an antigen thought to identify the growth fraction of the population, Ki-67 GF). Both mean and range values were greater for Ki-67 GF than for BUDR-LI. Most patients with high Ki-67 GF also had high BUDR-LI, although a linear correlation was not found between the two parameters. MGUS has lower values than MM, and the difference was much greater for Ki-67 GF than for BUDR-LI (p less than 0.005 vs. p less than 0.05). Differences in Ki-67 GF but not in BUDR-LI were found between MGUS and stage I MM (p less than 0.0005) and between grouped stage I and II MM and stage III MM (p less than 0.025). Both Ki-67 GF and BUDR-LI were significantly (p less than 0.005) greater in relapsed than in untreated MM. Determining Ki-67 GF as a proliferative parameter could be a better way of studying the kinetics of (BMPC) in MGUS and MM than determining the BUDR-LI, since a wider range of values is obtained and this allows patient groups with different clinical characteristics to be separated more easily.
Girino
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Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Terapia Medica, Università e IRCCS Policlinico S. Matteo, Pavia, Italia.
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D015415:Biomarkers; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000378:metabolism; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division; D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000473:pathology*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010265:Paraproteinemias / Q000473:pathology*; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
D015415:Biomarkers; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine