[DNA content and cell cycle analysis of myeloma cells in patients with multiple myeloma]

The study was aimed to investigate the genetic background and proliferation characteristics of multiple myeloma (MM). Myeloma cells were isolated from bone marrow of 19 MM patients by direct immunomagnetic cell sorting and the DNA content and cell cycle analysis were carried out by flow cytometry. The results showed that in 4 patients the myeloma cells were found to be hyperdiploid and in 15 patients those were found to be diploid respectively by DNA content analysis; the proportion of plasm cells from normal controls in S + G(2)/M phase was (1.15 +/- 0.60)%, and that of myeloma cells from MM patients was (10.06 +/- 12.60)% which was significantly higher than that in the former (p = 0.001). The incidence of hyperdiploid in newly diagnosed patients was 11.76%, and that of treated patients was 100.00% which was significantly higher than that in the former (p = 0.035); the proportion of myeloma cells from newly diagnosed patients in S + G(2)/M phase was (7.12 +/- 4.98)%, and that of treated patients was (35.10 +/- 32.56)% which was also significantly higher than that in the former (p = 0.001). It is concluded that the variety of myeloma cells in DNA content and cell cycle suggests the complicated genetic background and abnormal proliferation of MM, which relate with the course of disease to some extent.