MYC protein expression is detected in plasma cell myeloma but not in monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS).
It has been recognized that monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) precedes a diagnosis of plasma cell myeloma in most patients. Recent gene expression array analysis has revealed that an MYC activation signature is detected in plasma cell myeloma but not in MGUS. In this study, we performed immunohistochemical studies using membrane CD138 and nuclear MYC double staining on bone marrow biopsies from patients who met the diagnostic criteria of plasma cell myeloma or MGUS. Our study demonstrated nuclear MYC expression in CD138-positive plasma cells in 22 of 26 (84%) plasma cell myeloma samples and in none of the 29 bone marrow samples from patients with MGUS. In addition, our data on the follow-up biopsies from plasma cell myeloma patients with high MYC expression demonstrated that evaluation of MYC expression in plasma cells can be useful in detecting residual disease. We also demonstrated that plasma cells gained MYC expression in 5 of 8 patients (62.5%) when progressing from MGUS to plasma cell myeloma. Analysis of additional lymphomas with plasmacytic differentiation, including lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma, marginal zone lymphoma, and plasmablastic lymphoma, reveals that MYC detection can be a useful tool in the diagnosis of plasma cell myeloma.
Departments of *Pathology †Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, UMass Memorial Medical Center and University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester ‡Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Ruobing
R
Xiao
Jan
J
Cerny
Katherine
K
Devitt
Karen
K
Dresser
Rajneesh
R
Nath
Muthalagu
M
Ramanathan
Scott J
SJ
Rodig
Benjamin J
BJ
Chen
Bruce A
BA
Woda
Hongbo
H
Yu
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001706:Biopsy; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D001856:Bone Marrow Examination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008998:Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000032:analysis*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D053668:Syndecan-1 / Q000032:analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C489427:MYC protein, human; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; C508241:SDC1 protein, human; D053668:Syndecan-1