Prognostic value of plasma-cell immunophenotype in patients with multiple myeloma

A review is given of the prognostic significance of immunophenotyping of blood lymphoplasmocytic cells. From a group of 250 patients followed from 1981 through 1991 a subgroup of 70 patients (followed 1986 through 1991) were phenotyped at 6-month intervals by immunofluorescence tests with monoclonal antibodies for cytoplasmic immunoglobulin, kappa-lambda index, CD71, CD10, CD20, CD38, and HLA-DR receptors. In course of a longitudinal study it was found that prognostic significance for shortened survival can be derived from the presence of circulating CD10, CD71, and CD20 positive undifferentiated cells in peripheral blood. There was a correlation between increase of CALLA positive and CD71 positive cells. Further, an increase of undifferentiated clone occurred during transition of the disease to an aggressive phase. The median survival of the total group of 250 patients treated by the VMCP/MOCCA protocol, according to statistical analysis, was 90 months, the median survival of the aggressive stage with plasmoblastic and lymphoplasmocytic cell type, respectively, was only 12 months. The significance of phenotypization in the prognostic evaluation of variant heterogenous myeloma types is stressed.