Premium
Evaluation of serum deoxythymidine kinase as a marker in multiple myeloma
Author(s) -
Simonsson B.,
Källander C. F. R.,
Brenning G.,
Killander A.,
Åhre A.,
Gronowitz J. S.
Publication year - 1985
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/j.1365-2141.1985.tb02820.x
Subject(s) - multiple myeloma , medicine , thymidine kinase , creatinine , antibody , immunoglobulin light chain , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , virus , herpes simplex virus
S ummary . A recently developed deoxythymidine kinase assay utilizing 125 I‐iododeoxyuridine as substrate was used in an investigation of sera from 122 untreated patients with multiple myeloma. Most patients had slightly elevated or normal serum deoxythymidine kinase activity (S‐TK), although in some patients values increased by more than forty‐fold were found. S‐TK correlated with the haemoglobin level but did not correlate with sex, age, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, nor with the serum concentrations of creatinine, β 2 ‐microglobulin, Ca or M‐component. The distribution of S‐TK values in IgG, IgA and pure Bence‐Jones myeloma did not differ significantly. Patients with IgG and IgA myeloma excreting light‐chain immunoglobulin in the urine had significantly higher S‐TK than non‐excreters. There was a significant correlation between S‐TK values and tumour cell mass as determined by clinical staging. A high pretreatment S‐TK (> 5·1 units) also distinguished a group of patients with a significantly shorter survival time. Patients with no response to initial therapy had significantly higher S‐TK values than those who did respond. In longitudinal studies of 11 patients, S‐TK was found to increase when the disease became more aggressive. The possibility of diagnosing disease progression at an early stage by an elevation of S‐TK is discussed.