[Does beta-2 microglobulin measurement play role in diagnostics of childhood malignancies?]

beta 2-Microglobulin (beta 2-M) measurement acts as an important diagnostic tool of some lymphoproliferative disorders in adults. Its significance as a marker of disease activity in pediatric malignancies has not been evaluated yet. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical significance of the pre-treatment serum levels of beta 2-M in children suffering from neoplastic disease. The study was conducted in 61 children (28 girls and 33 boys) aged from 2.0 to 16.9 years at the time of disease diagnosis. The study group consisted of 6 common types of childhood malignancies: acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL--22 patients), acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL--3), Hodgkin's disease (HD--12), non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL--6) and malignant solid tumors: Wilms' tumor (Tu Wilms--10) and soft tissue sarcomas (SA--8). The control group consisted of 30 healthy children. Different behavior of beta 2-Microglobulin levels depending on histological type of the neoplasm was observed. The pre-treatment levels of analyzed marker in children with lymphoproliferative disorders (acute leukemias and lymphomas) were significantly elevated as compared to the levels in the healthy controls (median: 2.90 vs. 2.05 mg/L, p < 0.001). On the contrary, in patients with malignant solid tumors (Wilms tumor and soft tissue sarcomas) the median levels of beta 2-M at diagnosis were within normal range. Elevated values of serum beta 2-M were stated in the majority (67%) of patients with lymphoproliferative disorders and in 39% of patients with malignant solid tumors.

beta 2-Microglobulin may serve as an additional diagnostic marker in children with leukemias and lymphomas. Measurement of serum beta 2-M seems to have no clinical value in the diagnostics of pediatric malignant solid tumors.