[A study of the significance of serum beta 2-microglobulin levels in patients with multiple myeloma--analyzes as a marker of renal dysfunction and as a marker of tumor cell mass].
Renal involvement known as a myeloma kidney is often observed in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). This complication has been recognized as one of the most important prognostic factors in this disease. Serum beta 2-microglobulin (S beta 2-m) has been also recognized one of the prognostic factor that reflects both a glomerular infiltration rate and a volume of neoplastic cells, because beta 2-m usually can be produced by the neoplastic lymphoid cells. To clarify the significance of the S beta 2-m in MM, we compared S beta 2-m levels and the clinical stage, with another clinical parameters for renal function such as 24 hr creatinine clearance (24 hr Ccr), N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (NAG) levels in urine and serum alpha 1-microglobulin (S alpha 1-m) levels. The elevated S beta 2-m levels were commonly observed not only in patients with stage IIIB, but also in stage IA, IIA and IIIA (76%) who have normal renal function judged by the serum nitrogen or creatine levels. S beta 2-m levels correlated with 24 hr Ccr the most, then correlated with S alpha 1-m levels and less correlated with NAG levels in urine. Although a single elevation of S beta 2-m levels with other normal findings of renal parameters was found only in three out of 30 MM patients, the S beta 2-m levels in these patients did not change after the chemotherapy which had led to the diminution of serum M-protein. Together with these results, it was suggested that the S beta 2-m levels mainly reflect the renal dysfunction even if it stays in the subclinical stage, and reflect less the number of neoplastic cells in MM patients.
Nishinarita
S
S
First Department of Internal Medicine, Nihon University School of Medicine, Oyaguchi, Tokyo, Japan.
Shimada
H
H
Suzuki
R
R
Kishigami
Y
Y
Sawada
U
U
Horie
T
T
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000032:analysis*
D015415:Biomarkers; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin