title: Response to interferon therapy in patients with multiple myeloma correlates with expression of the Bcl-2 oncoprotein.
abstract: The expression of the Bcl-2 oncoprotein was studied in pre-treatment bone-marrow samples from 63 patients with multiple myeloma, using an immunohistochemistry technique. A variable expression of the Bcl-2 protein was found in myeloma cells. 43% of the patients had strong expression of the Bcl-2 protein in the malignant cells. Forty patients received alpha-interferon, whereas 23 patients received melphalan/prednisone therapy. A significant association (p = 0.012) was found between high levels of Bcl-2 expression in myeloma cells and resistance to interferon therapy. No such correlation was found in the melphalan/prednisone treated patients. The data indicate that over-expression of Bcl-2 may be a cause for resistance to interferon therapy in myeloma and that staining for Bcl-2 expression in myeloma cells may have a predictive value for this treatment.
authors.affiliation: Institution of Oncology/Pathology, Karolinska Hospital and Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sangfelt
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Osterborg
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grandér
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Anderbring
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ost
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mellstedt
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Einhorn
mesh_terms: D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
chemical_list: D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D008558:Melphalan; D011241:Prednisone