Altered cytokine activities are related to the suppression of synthesis of normal immunoglobulin in multiple myeloma

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Abstract
The content of peripheral blood B cells (B1+) was reduced in patients of multiple myeloma (MM) and not in those with benign monoclonal gammopathy (BMG) compared to normal donors (P < 0.01). This observation correlated with the suppression of synthesis of normal immunoglobulin (Ig) in MM. Thus, cytokine activities regulating the proliferation of normal mature B cells, such as B cell stimulatory factor 1 (BSF-1)/ inlerleukin 4 (IL-4), B cell growth inhibitory factor (BIF) and IL-2 in peripheral blood T cells, and IL-1 in peripheral blood adherent cells, were investigated in patients with BMG (n - 7) and MM (n = 28). All patients of MM having a marked suppression of synthesis of all other normal Ig, had significantly lower levels of BSF-1 activity and inversely higher levels of BIF activity than those of normal donors. However, patients with BMG having no suppression of synthesis of normal Ig had BSF-1 and BIF activities similar to normal donors. There was no significant difference in IL-1 and fL-2 activities between both normal donors and BMG versus MM patients. These data show that in MM altered cytokine activities correlate with suppression of synthesis of normal Ig.