Open AccessProliferation kinetics of plasma cells and of normal haemopoietic cells in multiple myeloma
Author(s) -
Ucci G.,
Riccardi A.,
Dörmer P.,
Danova M.,
Luoni R.,
Montecucco C. M.,
Ciotti R.,
Girino M.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
cell proliferation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.647
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1365-2184
pISSN - 0960-7722
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2184.1987.tb01313.x
Subject(s) - doubling time , bone marrow , multiple myeloma , medicine , population , minimal residual disease , in vitro , thymidine , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , pathology , endocrinology , chemistry , biology , biochemistry , environmental health
. DNA synthesis time ( T s ) and 3 H thymidine (TdR) labelling index (LI) of bone marrow (BM) myelomatous plasma cells (PC) and of the residual haemopoietic cell population (RHCP) were measured by in vitro quantitative 14 C‐TdR autoradiography in five patients with multiple myeloma (MM) in different phases of disease (three at presentation and two at relapse) and in one patient with solitary extra‐osseous myeloma. One other patient with plasma cell leukaemia (PCL) was studied during an initial relapse phase and later during the leukaemic terminal phase. PC T s was 18.8 ± 3.7 (from 13.3 to 25.0) hr and PC LI was 2.5 ± 1.8%; (from 1.0 to 6.3%). In the case of PCL, circulating PC had a T s of 14.4 hr and a LI of 3.1. From these experimental measurements, the fractional turnover rate (FTR—percentage of cells produced per unit time) and the potential doubling time ( T d ) of BMPC were calculated assuming that all BMPC were in a steady‐state at the time of the study. BMPC FTR was 3.53 ± 2.3% cells per day (from 1.2 to 6.72) and BMPC T d was 46.8 ± 27.5 days (from 15.0 to 75.4). Comparison with results obtained in BM blasts of children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) indicated that BMPC had a lower proliferative activity ( P < 0.001), although BMPC T s was not significantly different. In two patients a tumour doubling time of 6 and 13 months was determined by clinical follow up. Comparison of this parameter with T d showed a cell loss factor of more than 90% in both patients. Kinetic data relative to RHCP showed slight variations with respect to those found in normal subjects, with a general tendency towards a prolongation of T s and a reduction of LI.