Rare KIT (CD117) expression in multiple myeloma abrogates the usefulness of imatinib mesylate treatment.
BACKGROUND
Imatinib mesylate blocks the tyrosine kinase activity of KIT (CD117) and is an effective treatment for gastrointestinal stromal tumors. In multiple myeloma, KIT expression has been detected by flow cytometry in about 33% of specimens, but no previous immunohistochemical assessment has yet been made of the expression pattern of KIT.


METHODS
We performed immunohistochemical analyses of 100 patients, including 72 with multiple myeloma (MM), 8 with lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL), 10 with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and 10 with reactive plasmocytosis. One KIT-positive MM was sequenced using polymerase chain reaction analysis.


RESULTS
In MM, only 2 cases (2.8%) were KIT positive. The great majority of the cases (97, 2%) did not express the KIT receptor tyrosine kinase. No mutation of the c-kit gene was detected.


CONCLUSIONS
KIT expression is a rare event in MM and not detectable in MGUS and LPL. Therefore, treatment with imatinib is unlikely to be effective in these patients.
Lugli
A
A
Institute of Pathology, Kantonsspital Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 40, 4031, Basel, Switzerland.
Went
P
P
Khanlari
B
B
Nikolova
Z
Z
Dirnhofer
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001549:Benzamides; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology*; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000032:analysis*; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D001549:Benzamides; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit