title: Distribution of T-cell signalling molecules in human myeloma.
abstract: It is controversial whether altered levels of TCR/CD3-associated signalling molecules play a role in the T-cell dysfunction of cancer patients. In multiple myeloma (MM), peripheral blood T (PBT) lymphocytes are functionally impaired by prolonged exposure to tumour cells, and so we investigated the organization of the TCR/CD3-associated signal transduction machinery. The aim of this study was two-fold: first, to investigate the levels of CD3zeta, p56(lck), p59(fyn), ZAP-70, protein kinase C-alpha (PKC-alpha) and phospholipase C-gamma (PLC-gamma) in MM PBT cells; second, to determine whether levels of expression were correlated with clinical or prognostic factors. Forty-four MM patients were studied and 25 age-matched normal donors served as controls. On average, PKC-alpha was the only significantly decreased (P<0.001) signalling molecule, whereas levels of CD3zeta, p56(lck), p59(fyn), PLC-gamma and ZAP-70 were not statistically different. However, there was wide variation between individual patients, and levels for each single protein also varied. A 75% or greater decrease in protein expression was observed, ranging from 8% (p59(fyn)) to 68% (PCK-alpha) of MM patients. When patients were grouped according to the cut-off values of prognostic factors such as the serum levels of C reactive protein (CRP), beta2-microglobulin (beta2M), neopterin (NPT) and the labelling index (LI%) of bone marrow (BM) plasma cells, the only difference observed was the lower PKC-alpha expression in patients with high serum NPT values. None of the T-cell signalling molecule levels was affected by the duration of tumour exposure, calculated on the number of years and/or months that had elapsed since diagnosis, or by disease status. In conclusion, there was a significant decrease of PCK-alpha in MM T cells; however, neither this decrease nor the heterogenous levels of the other T-cell signalling molecules were clearly correlated with prognosis, duration of tumour exposure, and disease status.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina ed Oncologia Sperimentale, Divisione di Ematologia dell'Universita' di Torino, Azienda Ospedaliera S. Giovanni Battista, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mariani
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Beggiato
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Borrione
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peola
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boccadoro
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pileri
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Massaia
mesh_terms: D002450:Cell Communication / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D019860:Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck); D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000276:immunology*; D051966:Phospholipase C gamma; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism; D051571:Protein Kinase C-alpha; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051076:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fyn; D017260:Receptor-CD3 Complex, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D010738:Type C Phospholipases / Q000378:metabolism; D051746:ZAP-70 Protein-Tyrosine Kinase
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D017260:Receptor-CD3 Complex, Antigen, T-Cell; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C494957:FYN protein, human; D019860:Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck); D051076:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fyn; D051746:ZAP-70 Protein-Tyrosine Kinase; C497261:ZAP70 protein, human; C496628:PRKCA protein, human; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D051571:Protein Kinase C-alpha; D010738:Type C Phospholipases; D051966:Phospholipase C gamma