Malignant Plasma Cells (malignant + plasma_cell)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Preclinical development of hybrid cell vaccines for multiple myeloma

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2007
Renata Walewska
Abstract Immunotherapy may provide alternative or supplementary treatment of multiple myeloma (MM). We propose that hybrid cells, formed by fusing professional antigen-presenting cells with malignant plasma cells, would induce immune responses capable of mediating tumour regression. The human B-lymphoblastoid cell line, HMy2, was fused in vitro with CD138+ bead-separated myeloma plasma cells from five patients with MM. The hybrid cell lines generated in these studies grew stably in tissue culture, and maintained their phenotypic and functional characteristics, providing self-renewing cell lines with potential for therapeutic vaccination. The hybrid cells stimulated allogeneic and autologous T-cell proliferative responses in vitro to a considerably greater degree than their respective parent myeloma plasma cells, and directly activated both CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses. The enhanced T-cell stimulation correlated with expression of CD80 on the hybrid cells, and was inhibited by CTLA4-Ig fusion protein. The hybrid cell lines expressed several tumour-associated antigens known to be expressed in myeloma. These data show that self-replicating cell lines with enhanced immunostimulatory properties and potential for therapeutic vaccination can be generated by in vitro fusion of ex vivo myeloma cells and B-lymphoblastoid cell lines. [source]


Arsenic trioxide is effective in the treatment of multiple myeloma in SCID mice

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2004
Philippe Rousselot
Abstract: Objectives :,Pharmacological concentrations of arsenic trioxide (ATO) and organic arsenic melarsoprol induce apoptosis in malignant plasma cells. In an attempt to further document the interest of the arsenic in vivo, we treated severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice transplanted with human myeloma cells by ATO or melarsoprol. Methods :,Fifty-two SCID mice were irradiated before intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of plasma cells from five myeloma patients. Engraftment was assessed by serial measurement of the human monoclonal immunoglobulin G (HuMIgG) concentration in mouse serum. Treatment with ATO (10 ,g/g i.p. 5 d a week), melarsoprol (30 ,g/g i.p. 5 d a week) or phosphate buffer saline was started when a sustained growth of the tumor cells was demonstrated. Results :,Seventeen mice developed the human tumor. A significant decrease in HuMIgG amounts was observed in three of five mice of the ATO group, including two that achieved an apparent complete remission persisting up to 5 months after ATO discontinuation. In these mice, no human plasma cells were detected in tissue samples collected postmortem. Soluble human interleukin-6 receptor amount, measured in mice sera as a surrogate marker of the plasma cell proliferation, varied in parallel with HuMIgG concentration. A significant difference in survival was observed between control and ATO treated mice (113 and 158 d, respectively; P = 0.01) whereas no difference could be evidenced in control and melarsoprol groups. Conclusion :,Present study confirms in vivo the in vitro effects of ATO on myeloma cells. Delayed relapses were observed suggesting that prolonged or maintenance therapy has to be considered in future clinical trials. Whether or not this will translate into clinically relevant effect of the drug in myeloma patients deserves further consideration. [source]


Signet ring-like light chain myeloma with systemic spread

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2003
Joud H. Haidar
Abstract: The morphological presentation of malignant plasma cells in multiple myeloma (MM) varies from mature to anaplastic plasma cells with only one reported case of signet ring variant. We describe here another case of signet ring-like lambda light chain MM associated with extra-skeletal spread to lymph nodes, spleen and liver. The clinical and pathological presentations were atypical with no evidence of bone-lytic lesions or monoclonal component on protein electrophoresis, leading to a delay of several years in the diagnosis. Recognition of this morphological entity of MM may help in an early diagnosis of this rare variant. [source]


Atypical FOXP1 expression in malignant plasma cells that show several simultaneous translocations

HISTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 6 2009
Petra Kora
No abstract is available for this article. [source]


Gene expression of anti- and pro-apoptotic proteins in malignant and normal plasma cells

BRITISH JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2009
Michel Jourdan
Summary The survival of malignant plasma cells is a key event in disease occurrence, progression and chemoresistance. Using DNA-microarrays, we analysed the expression of genes coding for 58 proteins linked with extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways, caspases and inhibitor of apoptosis proteins. We considered six memory B cells (MBC), seven plasmablasts (PPC), seven bone marrow plasma cells (BMPC) and purified myeloma cells (MMC) from 92 newly-diagnosed patients. Forty out of the 58 probe sets enabled the separation of MBC, PPC and BMPC in three homogeneous clusters, characterized by an elevated expression of TNFRSF10A, TNFRSF10B, BCL2A1, CASP8, CASP9 and PMAIP1 genes for MBC, of FAS, FADD, AIFM1, BIRC5, CASP CASP2, CASP3 and CASP6 for PPC and of BCL2, MCL1, BID, BIRC3 and XIAP for BMPC. Thus, B cell differentiation was associated with change of expression of pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic genes. Regarding MMC, the major finding was TRAIL upregulation that might be counteracted by a high osteoprotegerin production by BM stromal cells and a decreased expression of FAS, APAF1 and BNIP3 compared to normal BMPC. Out of the 40 genes, CASP2 and BIRC5 expression in MMC had adverse prognosis in two independent series of previously-untreated patients. [source]


Either interleukin-12 or interferon-, can correct the dendritic cell defect induced by transforming growth factor ,1 in patients with myeloma

BRITISH JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2004
Ross Brown
Summary The poor response to immunotherapy in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) indicates that a better understanding of any defects in the immune response in these patients is required before effective therapeutic strategies can be developed. Recently we reported that high potency (CMRF44+) dendritic cells (DC) in the peripheral blood of patients with MM failed to significantly up-regulate the expression of the B7 co-stimulatory molecules, CD80 and CD86, in response to an appropriate signal from soluble trimeric human CD40 ligand. This defect was caused by transforming growth factor ,1 (TGF,1) and interleukin (IL)-10, produced by malignant plasma cells, and the defect was neutralized in vitro with anti-TGF,1. As this defect could impact on immunotherapeutic strategies and may be a major cause of the failure of recent trials, it was important to identify a more clinically useful agent that could correct the defect in vivo. In this study of 59 MM patients, the relative and absolute numbers of blood DC were only significantly decreased in patients with stage III disease and CD80 up-regulation was reduced in both stage I and stage III. It was demonstrated that both IL-12 and interferon- , neutralized the failure to stimulate CD80 up-regulation by huCD40LT in vitro. IL-12 did not cause a change in the distribution of DC subsets that were predominantly myeloid (CD11c+ and CDw123,) suggesting that there would be a predominantly T-helper cell type response. The addition of IL-12 or interferon- , to future immunotherapy trials involving these patients should be considered. [source]


Functional significance of novel neurotrophin-1/B cell-stimulating factor-3 (cardiotrophin-like cytokine) for human myeloma cell growth and survival

BRITISH JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2003
Renate Burger
Summary., Cytokines of the gp130 family, particularly interleukin 6 (IL-6), play a central role in the growth and survival of malignant plasma cells. Recently, novel neurotrophin-1 (NNT-1)/B cell-stimulating factor-3 (BSF-3), also reported as cardiotrophin-like cytokine (CLC), was identified as a cytokine belonging to the gp130 family. BSF-3, similar to IL-6, exerts regulatory effects on normal B cell functions, but its functional significance in haematological malignancies has not been defined. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the biological effects and signalling pathways that are induced by BSF-3 in malignant plasma cells. Recombinant human BSF-3 was found to have growth stimulatory activity on plasmacytoma cell lines and primary tumour cells. In addition, BSF-3 was able to protect from Dexamethasone (Dex)-induced apoptosis. BSF-3 stimulated cell growth could not be inhibited by neutralizing anti-IL-6 or anti-IL-6 receptor antibodies, but was abrogated by anti-gp130 antibodies. In INA-6.Tu11 cells, a subline of the IL-6-dependent human plasma cell line INA-6 expressing gp130 and the receptor for leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF), stimulation with BSF-3 induced tyrosine phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). AG490, an inhibitor of Janus kinases, decreased BSF-3 induced cell growth in a dose-dependent manner. This correlated with a reduction of STAT3 phosphorylation levels, while p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation was not affected. In conclusion, BSF-3 is a novel myeloma growth and survival factor with a potential role in the pathophysiology of the disease. [source]


Bacterial artificial chromosome array-based comparative genomic hybridization using paired formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded and fresh frozen tissue specimens in multiple myeloma

CANCER, Issue 2 2009
Patrick A. Lennon PhD
Abstract BACKGROUND: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a neoplasm of malignant plasma cells that often harbors many chromosomal aberrations. Currently, fresh frozen tissues (FT) are considered the most reliable for molecular genetic analysis; however, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues are easily retrievable. Compared with conventional cytogenetics, bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) array-comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) allows more sensitive detection of chromosomal abnormalities. METHODS: The authors analyzed 7 paired FT and FFPE samples of bone marrow aspirate materials obtained from patients with MM in parallel to determine the efficacy of BAC array-CGH using FFPE. RESULTS: Thirty-four aberrations were identified, including 29 that were observed in both sample types, yielding 85% concordance. Nonrandom anomalies, including gains on 7q, 9q, 15q, and 19p and losses on 8p and 13q, were observed in paired samples from at least 2 patients. To verify these results, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was performed using probes specific for 7q and 15q, and gains were observed in the 4 samples that were examined. Furthermore, 1 of 3 samples from patients who had monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance that were tested also carried gain on 7q, suggesting that this aberration may be an early transforming event. CONCLUSIONS: The current results indicated that BAC array-CGH can be effective using FFPE samples and is a sensitive method for the identification of nonrandom chromosomal aberrations in MM. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society. [source]