title: Elevated red blood cell distribution width as a simple prognostic factor in patients with symptomatic multiple myeloma.
abstract: Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a parameter reported in complete blood cell count tests, and has been reported as an inflammatory biomarker. Multiple myeloma (MM) is known to be associated with inflammatory microenvironments. However, the importance of RDW has been seldom studied in MM. For this study, 146 symptomatic myeloma patients with available RDW at diagnosis were retrospectively reviewed, and their characteristics were compared between two groups, those with high (>14.5%) and normal (≤ 14.5%) RDW. RDW was correlated to hemoglobin, MM stage, β 2-microglobulin, M-protein, bone marrow plasma cells, and cellularity (P < 0.001). During induction, overall response rates of the two groups were similar (P = 0.195); however, complete response rate was higher in the normal-RDW group than it was in the high-RDW group (P = 0.005). With a median follow-up of 47 months, the normal-RDW group showed better progression-free survival (PFS) (24.2 versus 17.0 months, P = 0.029) compared to the high-RDW group. Overall survival was not different according to the RDW level (P = 0.236). In multivariate analysis, elevated RDW at diagnosis was a poor prognostic factor for PFS (HR 3.21, 95% CI 1.24-8.32) after adjustment with other myeloma-related prognostic factors. RDW would be a simple and immediately available biomarker of symptomatic MM, reflecting the systemic inflammation.
authors: Hematologic-Oncology Clinic, Center for Specific Organs Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, 323 Ilsan-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do 410-769, Republic of Korea.
authors: Hyewon
authors: H
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Center for Diagnostic Oncology, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, 323 Ilsan-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do 410-769, Republic of Korea.
authors: Sun-Young
authors: SY
authors: Kong
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Center for Diagnostic Oncology, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, 323 Ilsan-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do 410-769, Republic of Korea.
authors: Ji Yeon
authors: JY
authors: Sohn
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Center for Diagnostic Oncology, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, 323 Ilsan-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do 410-769, Republic of Korea.
authors: Hyoeun
authors: H
authors: Shim
authors: Hematologic-Oncology Clinic, Center for Specific Organs Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, 323 Ilsan-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do 410-769, Republic of Korea.
authors: Hye Sun
authors: HS
authors: Youn
authors: Hematologic-Oncology Clinic, Center for Specific Organs Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, 323 Ilsan-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do 410-769, Republic of Korea.
authors: Sangeun
authors: S
authors: Lee
authors: Hematologic-Oncology Clinic, Center for Specific Organs Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, 323 Ilsan-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do 410-769, Republic of Korea.
authors: Hyun Ju
authors: HJ
authors: Kim
authors: Hematologic-Oncology Clinic, Center for Specific Organs Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, 323 Ilsan-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do 410-769, Republic of Korea.
authors: Hyeon-Seok
authors: HS
authors: Eom
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D007136:Immunoglobulins; C009823:M-proteins (Myeloma); D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin