title: Correlated flow cytometric analysis of H-ras p21 and nuclear DNA in multiple myeloma.
abstract: Correlated analysis of the H-ras oncogenes product (p21) and of nuclear DNA content was performed by flow cytometry (FCM) in patients with DNA-aneuploid multiple myeloma (MM). Bone marrow cells from normal donors and MM patients in remission served as controls. Seventy-four percent of 23 patients with active MM had higher p21 fluorescence in aneuploid tumor cells than were observed in normal donor or myeloma remission bone marrows; 39% of the 23 patients also showed high H-ras p21 expression in diploid cells. There was an inverse relationship between p21 levels and the presence of trisomy 11; especially high p21 levels were noted in patient without trisomy 11. The frequent elevation of p21 protein in aneuploid plasma cells suggests the involvement of the H-ras oncogene in the pathophysiology of MM, which is further supported by a shorter survival among patients with high p21 levels.
mesh_terms: D000918:Antibody Specificity; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000032:analysis*; D002880:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 11; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C501009:HRAS protein, human; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)