title: Clinical significance of interleukin-6 gene expression in the bone marrow of patients with multiple myeloma.
abstract: The proliferation and differentiation of multiple myeloma (MM) cells has been suggested to be induced by continuous stimulation of interleukin (IL)-6 in the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment. We investigated the production and gene expression of this cytokine in bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMC) of 31 untreated patients with MM. The IL-6 gene was expressed in 20/31 patients in whom increased IL-6 production in vitro was observed, suggesting that IL-6 gene expression correlates with IL-6 production by BMMC. A significant correlation was found between the presence of bone lesions and IL-6 gene expression; however, the percentage of MM cells infiltrating the BM did not correlate with IL-6 gene expression. This IL-6 gene expression was assigned to adherent cells of the BM microenvironment. Furthermore, serial measurement of IL-6 gene expression along with the clinical course revealed increased expression of IL-6 gene during the progressive phase of MM and decreased expression after remission at the individual level. These results suggest that IL-6 gene expression in BMMC reflects disease severity in MM.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hamano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ogata
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kakishita
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015850:Interleukin-6