ABSTRACT
Bone marrow plasma cell labeling index (L.I.), kappa/lambda ratio, CD4+ and CD8+ subpopulations were studied in patients with smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM), active myeloma (MM) and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). The loss of the light chain isotype suppression (LCIS) and a high labeling index (L.I.) allowed us to distinguish all MM patients from SMM patients. On the contrary, a low L.I. and a normal kappa/lambda ratio were found in most kappa and lambda MGUS. A significant difference in the kappa/lambda ratio was noted between MGUS and K-SMM. A significant decrease in CD4+ and a significant increase in CD8+ were not observed in patients with LCIS. The kappa/lambda ratio together with the plasma cell L.I. could be useful parameters for distinguishing active MM from SMM, especially in the cases with a border line L.I.
Subject(s)
Bone Marrow/immunology , Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains/metabolism , Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains/metabolism , Lymphocytes/immunology , Paraproteinemias/immunology , Plasma Cells/immunology , HumansSubject(s)
B-Lymphocytes , Killer Cells, Natural/immunology , Multiple Myeloma/immunology , Paraproteinemias/immunology , T-Lymphocytes , Adult , Aged , B-Lymphocytes/classification , B-Lymphocytes/immunology , Female , Humans , Immunoglobulin G/analysis , Male , Middle Aged , Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell/analysis , T-Lymphocytes/classification , T-Lymphocytes/immunologyABSTRACT
Lymphocytic populations and T cell subsets were studied in the blood of patients with nonleukemic non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A statistically significant decrease of both the T lymphocytes and the OKT4-, OKT8-binding cells was detected in low-grade malignant lymphomas (LGML). A significant decrease of the T cell population and of the OKT4-binding cells was also found in high-grade malignant lymphomas (HGML); in these, the OKT8-binding cells were not lowered. The amount of the circulating B lymphocytes was not found to be altered both in HGML and in LGML.
