title: Assessment of bone marrow fibrosis and angiogenesis in monitoring patients with multiple myeloma.
abstract: The aim of our study was to emphasize the importance of accurate and standardized techniques for detailed monitoring of the microenvironment in multiple myeloma (MM). Bone marrow fibrosis, angiogenesis, and plasma cell infiltrates in bone marrow biopsy (BMB) samples at the time of diagnosis and on completion of therapy were analyzed for 42 patients with newly diagnosed MM. Computerized image analysis was used for all slides stained with anti-CD138 and anti-CD34. The patients with fibrosis in pretreatment BMB samples had significantly higher microvessel density (MVD) and plasma cell infiltrates. In posttreatment BMB samples, nonresponders had a significantly higher frequency and grade of fibrosis and higher values of MVD, total vascular area, and plasma cell percentage. The overall survival of nonresponders and patients with increased marrow fibrosis in posttreatment BMB samples was significantly shorter. The obtained results confirm that complex morphologic examination of the bone marrow microenvironment during the monitoring of MM can provide better prognostic significance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: Emina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Babarović
authors.forename: Toni
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Valković
authors.forename: Sanja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Štifter
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Budisavljević
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Seili-Bekafigo
authors.forename: Antica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Duletić-Načinović
authors.forename: Ksenija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lučin
authors.forename: Nives
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jonjić
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000378:metabolism; D001706:Biopsy; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology*; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000473:pathology; D055728:Primary Myelofibrosis / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D018952:Antigens, CD34