title: Elevated level of plasma basic fibroblast growth factor in multiple myeloma correlates with increased disease activity.
abstract: Recent reports that bone marrow angiogenesis is increased in multiple myeloma prompted us to examine plasma concentrations of angiogenic growth factors and to elucidate their clinical and biological significance. In 45 cases including 36 cases of multiple myeloma and 9 cases of monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance (MGUS), plasma concentrations of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were evaluated. FGF-2 was significantly elevated in 25 out of 45 (56%) of the patients with multiple myeloma compared with control subjects (median 9.01 pg ml vs. 1.58 pg/ml, P < 0.0001). The 25 cases were all active multiple myeloma, and none of the non-active myeloma and MGUS patients showed a high FGF-2 level. VEGF level was also elevated in 26 out of 45 patients (58%) compared with control subjects (median 42.0 pg/ml vs. 15.8 pg/ml, P < 0.0001 for VEGF). VEGF concentration was high in 20 active myelomas, but also in one non-active myeloma and five MGUS. Elevation of FGF-2 level was associated with beta2-microglobulin level, anemia and bone marrow plasma cell percentage, which represent disease activity. Interestingly, none of five Bence-Jones type myelomas, including four clinically active cases, revealed a high plasma FGF-2 level, while all of them showed a high VEGF level. In all five responders, the plasma FGF-2 levels were significantly decreased after chemotherapy. FGF-2 was immunohistochemically detected in the bone marrow myeloma cells of the patients with high plasma FGF-2 level. We conclude that plasma concentration of FGF-2 can be a useful indicator of disease activity.
authors: Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
authors: Norihide
authors: N
authors: Sato
authors: Yutaka
authors: Y
authors: Hattori
authors: Du
authors: D
authors: Wenlin
authors: Taketo
authors: T
authors: Yamada
authors: Tamihiro
authors: T
authors: Kamata
authors: Tsunayuki
authors: T
authors: Kakimoto
authors: Shinichiro
authors: S
authors: Okamoto
authors: Chiharu
authors: C
authors: Kawamura
authors: Masahiro
authors: M
authors: Kizaki
authors: Naoki
authors: N
authors: Shimada
authors: Yukiko
authors: Y
authors: Ote
authors: Jun-ichi
authors: J
authors: Hata
authors: Yasuo
authors: Y
authors: Ikeda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015153:Blotting, Western; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003470:Culture Media / Q000378:metabolism; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2