title: B-lymphocyte suppression in multiple myeloma is a reversible phenomenon specific to normal B-cell progenitors and plasma cell precursors.
abstract: The reduced levels of normal immunoglobulin in patients with myeloma may be due to suppression of normal B-cell differentiation. However, reports on the numbers of B cells vary, with some finding decreases consistent with immunoparesis, and others reporting expansions of phenotypically aberrant cells. We have therefore assessed the phenotype and levels of B lymphocytes in patients at presentation (n = 23), in plateau or complete remission (PB n = 42, BM n = 18), and in relapse (PB n = 17, BM n = 14), in comparison to normal individuals (n = 10). Phenotypic analysis was performed using five-parameter flow cytometry, with CD14 used to exclude monocytes where necessary. We found no evidence of a phenotypically distinctive blood or marrow B-cell population in patients with myeloma, nor of an increase in the levels of any B-cell subset. Numbers of blood CD19+ 38+ normal plasma cell precursors were significantly reduced in presentation/relapse patients, but not in patients in plateau/remission. Total CD19+ cells were significantly reduced only in patients with circulating myeloma cells, detected by IgH-PCR. In the marrow, CD19+ B cells expressing CD5, CD10, CD34, CD38, CD45(low) and Syndecan-1 were significantly decreased at presentation/relapse, but not in patients in plateau/remission. The majority of these antigens are expressed by normal B-cell progenitors, indicating that myeloma also affects the early stages of B-cell development. The suppression of progenitor cells was not restricted to B-lymphoid differentiation, as total CD34+ cells were also significantly reduced in the marrow of myeloma patients at presentation. These results indicate that, if neoplastic B cells are present in myeloma, they are low in number and have a phenotype similar to their normal counterparts. Furthermore, there is a reversible suppression of CD19+ B lymphocytes that correlates inversely with disease stage, and specifically affects the early and late stages of normal B-cell differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, The General Infirmary at Leeds.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Rawstron
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Owen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: English
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pratt
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Child
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Jack
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Morgan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015322:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008231:Lymphopenia / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000473:pathology*; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000473:pathology; D012008:Recurrence; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD