PLASMA-CELL ANTIGENS IN HUMAN MULTIPLE-MYELOMA

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 89  (5) , 1009-1017
Abstract
Tumor-specific antigens capable of eliciting a response from autologous lymphocytes were described in mouse plasmacytoma systems. This paper presents evidence of similar antigens in human myeloma. Myeloma plasma cells isolated from the bone marrow of 27 patients stimulated autologous and allogeneic peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from myeloma patients in mixed leukocyte culture. Plasma cells isolated from the bone marrow of normal patients or patients with benign plasmacytosis failed to stimulate PBL in mixed leukocyte culture. Similar results were found in passive cytotoxicity assays with the use of chicken red blood cells (CRBC) coated with 3M KCl plasma cell extracts from myeloma patients. PBL from myeloma patients caused 30-80% 51Cr release from tanned Cr-labeled plasma cell extract-coated CRBC targets, PBL from normal patients or patients with benign plasmacytosis caused only 10-25% 51Cr release. This study indicates the presence of material resembling tumor-specific antigens on human myeloma plasma cells. Immune response to such antigens is apparently elicted in autologous and allogeneic myeloma patients.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: