T cell depletion using anti-CD2 coated magnetic beads simplifies the detection of peripheral blood plasma cells

The detection of peripheral blood plasma cells is clinically important, but difficult to perform by use of routine smears. To simplify the detection process, the peripheral blood T cells from ten patients with known active multiple myeloma were depleted using anti-CD2 coated magnetic beads. In all cases, there was enrichment of the immunoglobulin (Ig) positive cells after T cell depletion (mean enrichment factor, 3.4; median, 3.2; range, 1.2-5.1) with a mean pre-bead %Ig+ cells of 7.3 compared to 20.4 for the post-bead sample (p = 0.005). The monoclonal plasma cells were similarly enriched and more easily enumerated on the microscope slides prepared from the T cell depleted sample.