Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Homing of Hematopoietic Cells to the Bone Marrow
10:40

Homing of Hematopoietic Cells to the Bone Marrow

Published on: March 18, 2009

30.0K

Bone marrow plasma cell infiltration in light chain amyloidosis: impact on organ involvement and outcome

Natalia Tovar1, Luis Gerardo Rodríguez-Lobato1, Maria Teresa Cibeira1

  • 1a Amyloidosis and Myeloma Unit, Department of Hematology , Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain.

Amyloid : the International Journal of Experimental and Clinical Investigation : the Official Journal of the International Society of Amyloidosis
|February 28, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Higher bone marrow plasma cell (BMPC) infiltration in immunoglobulin light-chain (AL) amyloidosis correlates with worse outcomes. However, newer therapies may mitigate the negative prognostic impact of increased BMPC burden.

Area of Science:

  • Hematology
  • Oncology
  • Internal Medicine

Background:

  • Prognosis in immunoglobulin light-chain (AL) amyloidosis is influenced by cardiac involvement and disease burden.
  • Elevated bone marrow plasma cell (BMPC) burden is an established adverse prognostic factor in AL amyloidosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between BMPC infiltration, clinical characteristics, and patient outcomes in AL amyloidosis.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of clinical records from 79 AL amyloidosis patients treated at a single institution.

Main Results:

  • Median BMPC infiltration was 11%, correlating with serum free light-chain difference (p < .001).
  • Patients with >10% BMPC infiltration showed higher rates of cardiac involvement (86% vs 63%, p = .015), a trend towards increased early mortality (27% vs 11%, p = .08), and significantly shorter progression-free survival (PFS) (18 vs 48 months, p = .02) and overall survival (33 months vs. not reached, p = .046).
  • Multivariate analysis confirmed BMPC infiltration >10% as an adverse prognostic factor for PFS (HR = 2.26, p = .038).

Conclusions:

  • Increased BMPC infiltration in AL amyloidosis is linked to greater systemic organ damage, especially cardiac involvement.
  • Myeloma features are rarely associated with high BMPC infiltration in AL amyloidosis.
  • Emerging therapeutic agents may counteract the adverse prognostic effects of elevated BMPC levels.
Abstract

Keywords:
AL amyloidosisbone marrow plasma cellsmultiple myelomaprognostic impact

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Developing a Reproducible Method for Isolating Bone Marrow-Derived Macrophages from Neonatal Mice to Advance Early Life Immune Responses06:53

Author Spotlight: Developing a Reproducible Method for Isolating Bone Marrow-Derived Macrophages from Neonatal Mice to Advance Early Life Immune Responses

Published on: May 24, 2024

3.0K
Interphase Fluorescence in situ Hybridization of Bone Marrow Smears of Multiple Myeloma07:53

Interphase Fluorescence in situ Hybridization of Bone Marrow Smears of Multiple Myeloma

Published on: April 15, 2022

4.8K

Related Concept Videos

Bone Marrow Sampling and Transplants01:22

Bone Marrow Sampling and Transplants

Bone marrow transplant is a potential cure for several diseases, including cancer and specific genetic disorders. Notably, this procedure is applicable for patients suffering from aplastic anemia, certain types of leukemia, severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID), Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma, thalassemia, sickle-cell disease, and certain cancers.
The transplant begins with high doses of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, which aim to destroy...
1.4K
Electron Transport Chains01:28

Electron Transport Chains

The final stage of cellular respiration is oxidative phosphorylation that consists of two steps: the electron transport chain and chemiosmosis. The electron transport chain is a set of proteins found in the inner mitochondrial membrane in eukaryotic cells. Its primary function is to establish a proton gradient that can be used during chemiosmosis to produce ATP and generate electron carriers, such as NAD+ and FAD, that are used in glycolysis and the citric acid cycle.
The ETC is comprised of...
113.1K
Organic Compounds03:02

Organic Compounds

All living things are formed mostly of carbon compounds called organic compounds. The category of organic compounds includes both natural and synthetic compounds that contain carbon. Although a single, precise definition has yet to be identified by the chemistry community, most agree that a defining trait of organic molecules is the presence of carbon as the principal element, bonded to hydrogen and other carbon atoms. However, some carbon-containing compounds such as carbonates, cyanides, and...
57.7K
Outcomes of Glycolysis01:13

Outcomes of Glycolysis

Nearly all the energy used by cells comes from the bonds that make up complex organic compounds. These organic compounds are broken down into simpler molecules, such as glucose. As a result, cells extract energy from glucose over many chemical reactions—a process called cellular respiration.
Cellular respiration can occur aerobically (with oxygen) or anaerobically (without oxygen). In the presence of oxygen, cellular respiration starts with glycolysis and continues with pyruvate...
107.8K
Predicting Reaction Outcomes02:24

Predicting Reaction Outcomes

Kinetics describes the rate and path by which a reaction occurs. In contrast, thermodynamics deals with state functions and describes the properties, behavior, and components of a system. It is not concerned with the path taken by the process and cannot address the rate at which a reaction occurs. Although it does provide information about what can happen during a reaction process, it does not describe the detailed steps of what appears on an atomic or a molecular level. On the other hand,...
11.0K
Impact of Groups on Groups01:19

Impact of Groups on Groups

Social psychologists analyze how groups influence one another, shaping social structures and interactions through both cooperation and competition. These dynamics manifest in various ways, ranging from economic partnerships to intergroup conflicts that shape societal structures and perceptions.Cooperation and Competition in Intergroup RelationsIntergroup relationships vary across contexts, sometimes fostering cooperation and mutual benefit while at other times leading to conflict and...
262