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Nucleolus‐associated J chains in myeloma cells: Clinical significance
Author(s) -
Kanoh Tadashi,
Ohnaka Tadashi,
Ohno Tatsuharu,
Takamatsu Teruyuki,
Yasuda Norimasa,
Uchino Haruto,
Niwa Yukie
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
european journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1600-0609
pISSN - 0902-4441
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0609.1987.tb01442.x
Subject(s) - nucleolus , multiple myeloma , immunoglobulin light chain , bence jones protein , bone marrow , incidence (geometry) , pathology , medicine , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , cancer research , immunology , antibody , physics , cytoplasm , optics
Bone marrow aspirates from 20 patients with multiple myeloma (MM), 4 with smoldering multiple myeloma (S‐MM), 1 with idiopathic Bence Jones proteinuria (I‐BJP), and 6 with primary macroglobulinemia (PMG) were examined for nucleolus‐associated J chain. The incidence of nucleolar J chain‐positive (J +) cells among nucleolated cells producing M‐component was measured. This incidence (94.0–100%) in terminal MM was significantly higher than that (0–58.0%) in non‐terminal MM. Judging from a low incidence in the remission phase, chemotherapy might cause a selective elimination of less differentiated myeloma cells with J + nucleoli and might have some effect on J chain synthesis. The incidence of nucleolar J+ cells was very low in S‐MM. The IgM cells in PMG, where J chain is present in a disulfide‐linked form, had no or few J+ nucleoli. No correlation between the incidence of nucleolar J + cells among nucleolated plasma cells and the percentage of nucleolated cells or that of J + cells was found. Large J + nucleoli seemed to be another morphological feature indicating anaplastic myeloma cells. A high incidence of nucleolar J + cells may be one of the indicators for progressive disease.