Studies on the clonal origin of multiple myeloma. Use of individually specific (idiotype) antibodies to trace the oncogenic event to its earliest point of expression in B-cell differentiation

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: H. Kubagawa, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Larry Vogler, Emory University; J.D. Capra, University of Alabama at Birmingham; M.E. Conrad, University of Alabama at Birmingham; A.R. Lawton, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Max Cooper, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 1979-01-01
• Publisher: Rockefeller University Press
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © Rockefeller University Press.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1084/jem.150.4.792
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Journal of Experimental Medicine
• ISSN: 0022-1007
• Volume: 150
• Issue: 4
• Start Page: 792
• End Page: 807
• Grant/Funding Information: Supported by grants CA 16673 and CA 13148, awarded by the National Cancer Institute; DHEW, RR32, F32 CA 05776, AI 11502, and AI 12127 from the National Institutes of Health; and IN-66Q from American Cancer Society.
• Keywords: Immunology; Research & Experimental Medicine; Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Immunology; Health Sciences, Oncology; Biology, Microbiology

Abstract

IgA myeloma proteins of kappa- and λ- types were isolated from two patients. These were used to produce and purify anti-idiotype antibodies of both broad (myeloma-related) and narrow (individual myeloma) specificities. The anti-idiotype antibodies were conjugated with fluorochromes and used as immunofluorescent probes to trace in the patients clonal expansion at different levels of B-cell differentiation. Our results (a) confirm that B lymphocyte precursors in IgA plasma-cell myelomas are involved in the malignant process, (b) show that B lymphocytes of the malignant clone include those expressing each of the major heavy-chain isotypes, μ, δ, γ, and α, and (c) provide strong circumstantial evidence that pre-B-cell members of the malignant clone are also increased in frequency. T cells expressing idiotypic determinants were not detected. These findings argue that the initial oncogenic event may occur in a B-stem cell and is not influenced through stimulation by antigen. An interesting association was the increased frequency through stimulation by antigen. An interesting association was the increased frequency of related clones of B lymphocytes as detected by their reactivity with anti-idiotype antibodies of broad specificity. Neither plasma cell nor pre-B-cell members of these related clones were increased in frequency. Anti-idiotype antibodies or helper T cells reactive with myeloma-related idiotypes could be responsible for this phenomenon. We discuss other implications of these findings and speculate that all of the various phenotypes of B-lineage malignancies may result from oncogenic processes affecting stem cell targets.