title: Immunoglobulin gene rearrangement in plasma cell dyscrasias: detection of small clonal cell populations in peripheral blood and bone marrow.
abstract: The bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB) samples of 71 patients with plasma cell dyscrasias were analysed by the Southern blot technique for the presence of clonal immunoglobulin (Ig) gene rearrangements. 53% of BM samples examined were archival material such as air dried BM slides or frozen trephine biopsies. The results were related to bone marrow plasmacytosis as determined by cytology and flow cytometry, and other clinical parameters. Clonal Ig gene rearrangements were found in BM samples of 45 (83%) of 54 MM patients and in 3 of 6 patients with monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance (MGUS). Clonal cell populations in the PB were detected in 11 (30%) of 37 examined MM patients, but in none of the patients with MGUS or solitary plasmacytoma of bone. PB involvement was associated with progressive disease. Circulating monoclonal cells were significantly associated with higher M-protein levels (p < 0.05). Thus, circulating clonal precursor cells are encountered more frequently in active MM.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University of Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fend
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Weyrer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Drach
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schwaiger
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Umlauft
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Grünewald
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology*; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000473:pathology; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D015322:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008998:Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D009194:Myeloma Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D010265:Paraproteinemias / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D010954:Plasmacytoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D009194:Myeloma Proteins