Serum electrophoretic pattern and morphology of myeloma cells; an attempt at correlation.

By WAYNE A. CHADBOURN AND HORACE H. ZINNEM.. N F E\\ ATTEMPTS have beems made to correlate the histologic characteristmcs . of mi)velomna cells with the abnormalities of the serum proteimi pattern. Publicatiom s by Smiapper, Turner amid Nloscowitz ,‘ Bayrd ,2 Licht.ensteimi aiitl .Jaffe,3 ami(l Adams, Allimig amid Lawremice4 contain references to the degree of matum’itv ()f the mnyelonia dells and the types of serum proteimi pattern, but correlatiomi was not consistemitly suggested or noted. Flertzog amid Schleichert muemitiomied that cells of uniform size with deep blue cytoplasmu weme likely to be foumid im cases of multiple myeloma with increased serumu glol)ulimi amid! absemice of Bence Jones protein. Bayrdt reviewed 51 cases of muultiple myeloma and was un)al)le to correlate the cellular differentiation am)dl the plesemice ()f Bence Jomies protein iii the urine or the degree of elevatiomi of the globulimm fraction. WTuhrmuamm, \Vumtderly atid Hugentobler6 showed that an elevatiomi of serumu gamnmua globulin was associated with a prolonged climiical coulse amid a mature type of plasma cell, while elevation of alpha globulin was asso(-iate(l with a short chimmical course amid immature plasma cells. Olhagemi amid coworkers7 studied the nucleic acid distribution amid serum proteimi fommimatiomi iii nsultiple muyeloma amid evaluated the morphologic characteristics ()f tl)e muvelon)sa cells. Their patients with increased gamma or beta globulimt fractious had myelomna cells with eccentric nuclei, and a small nuclearcytoplasmie matio. Other patients with a normal total proteims amid minimal globulimt ehamiges hadl myeloma cells w’ith a central nucleus amid a large mmclear-