Plasma cells induce apoptosis of pre-B cells by interacting with bone marrow stromal cells

By using two-color phenotypic analysis with fluorescein isothiocyanate-anti-CD38 and phycoerythrin-anti-CD19 antibodies, we found that pre-B cells (CD38+CD19+) signifcantly decreased depending on the number of plasma cells (CD38++CD19+) in the bone marrow (BM) in the cases with BM plasmacytosis, such as myelomas and even polyclonal gammopathy. To clarify how plasma cells suppress survival of pre-B cells, we examined the effect of plasma cells on the survival of pre-B cells with or without BM-derived stromal cells in vitro. Pre-B cells alone rapidly entered apoptosis, but interleukin-7 (IL-7), a BM stromal cell line (KM-102), or culture supernatants of KM-102 cells could support pre-B cell survival. On the other hand, inhibitory factors such as transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1beta (MIP-1beta) could suppress survival of pre-B cells even in the presence of IL-7. Plasma cells alone could not suppress survival of pre-B cells in the presence of IL-7, but coculture of plasma cells with KM-102 cells or primary BM stromal cells induced apoptosis of pre-B cells. Supernatants of coculture with KM-102 and myeloma cell lines (KMS-5) also could suppress survival of pre-B cells. Furthermore, we examined the expression of IL-7, TGF-beta1, and MIP-1beta mRNA in KM-102 cells and primary stromal cells cocultured with myeloma cell lines (KMS-5). In these cells, IL-7 mRNA was downregulated, but the expression of TGF-beta1 and MIP-1beta mRNA was augmented. Therefore, these results suggest that BM-derived stromal cells attached to plasma (myeloma) cells were modulated to secrete lesser levels of supporting factor (IL-7) and higher levels of inhibitory factors (TGF-beta1 and MIP-1beta) for pre-B cell survival, which could explain why the increased number of plasma (myeloma) cells induced suppression of pre-B cells in the BM. This phenomenon may represent a feedback loop between pre-B cells and plasma cells via BM stromal cells in the BM.