International Journal of Cell Cloning, Vol 7, 111-119, Copyright © 1989 by AlphaMed Press
Minimal peripheral blood cells carrying clonal markers of B cell disorders: evidence for monoclonality of circulating lymphocytes in patients with multiple myeloma
W Oster, A Lindemann, R Mertelsmann and F Herrmann
Department of Hematology, Johannes Gutenberg-Universitat, Mainz, Federal Republic of Germany.
Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of 20 patients with multiple myeloma
(MM) were assayed for clonality by Southern blot and cell surface marker
analysis. Eight samples showed monoclonal origin of circulating lymphocytes
by demonstrating rearrangements of the heavy chain immunoglobulin gene
(IgH). In selected experiments, comparison of IgH rearrangements of bone
marrow plasma cells and peripheral blood-derived mononuclear cells, highly
enriched for B lymphocytes, proved to be identical. However, monoclonal
circulating cells could not be detected in samples with rearranged IgH
genes by surface marker phenotyping using one-color immunofluorescence
analysis and a panel of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to various B
lineage-associated antigens. These results indicate that in a substantial
proportion of MM, monoclonal growth involves circulating B lymphocytes and
underscores the clinical usefulness of Southern analysis of IgH gene
rearrangements for monitoring this disease.
