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Levels of uninvolved immunoglobulins predict clinical status and progression‐free survival for multiple myeloma patients
Author(s) -
Harutyunyan Nika M.,
Vardanyan Suzie,
Ghermezi Michael,
Gottlieb Jillian,
Berenson Ariana,
AndreuVieyra Claudia,
Berenson James R.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/bjh.14026
Subject(s) - nephelometry , multiple myeloma , medicine , myeloma protein , serum protein electrophoresis , antibody , cohort , immunology , oncology , monoclonal antibody , gastroenterology , monoclonal
Summary Multiple myeloma ( MM ) is characterized by the enhanced production of the same monoclonal immunoglobulin (M‐Ig or M protein). Techniques such as serum protein electrophoresis and nephelometry are routinely used to quantify levels of this protein in the serum of MM patients. However, these methods are not without their shortcomings and problems accurately quantifying M proteins remain. Precise quantification of the types and levels of M‐Ig present is critical to monitoring patient response to therapy. In this study, we investigated the ability of the HevyLite ( HLC ) immunoassay to correlate with clinical status based on levels of involved and uninvolved antibodies. In our cohort of MM patients, we observed that significantly higher ratios and greater differences of involved HLC levels compared to uninvolved HLC levels correlated with a worse clinical status. Similarly, higher absolute levels of involved HLC antibodies and lower levels of uninvolved HLC antibodies also correlated with a worse clinical status and a shorter progression‐free survival. These findings suggest that the HLC assay is a useful and a promising tool for determining the clinical status and survival time for patients with multiple myeloma.