Pretreatment serum β2‐microglobulin in multiple myeloma

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Abstract
Summary. Serum beta2‐microglobuline (S‐β2m) was evaluated in 121 untreated patients with multiple myeloma. Values > 3 mg/l were found in 82% of the patients. Mean S‐β2m values of the total group of patients correlated with clinical stage. However, there was no correlation if values were corrected for S‐creatinine. Seventy‐nine patients had normal (106 μmol/l) and 52 patients abnormal S‐creatinine. Patients with S‐β2m values below 7·6 mg/l had an estimated median survival of 44 months compared to 12 months for patients with levels above 7·6 mg/l. If S‐β2m values in patients with normal S‐creatinine were combined with values corrected for S‐creatinine from patients with elevated S‐creatinine a β2m cut off level of 6·6 mg/l gave a median probable survival of 43 months compared to 14 months. We conclude that pretreatment S‐β2 microglobulin is a useful marker for predicting survival in multiple myeloma. The problem of the relationship between S‐β2m and S‐creatinine is discussed.