Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a parameter reported in complete blood cell count tests, and has been reported as an inflammatory biomarker. Multiple myeloma (MM) is known to be associated with inflammatory microenvironments. However, the importance of RDW has been seldom studied in MM. For this study, 146 symptomatic myeloma patients with available RDW at diagnosis were retrospectively reviewed, and their characteristics were compared between two groups, those with high (>14.5%) and normal (≤14.5%) RDW. RDW was correlated to hemoglobin, MM stage, β2-microglobulin, M-protein, bone marrow plasma cells, and cellularity (P < 0.001). During induction, overall response rates of the two groups were similar (P = 0.195); however, complete response rate was higher in the normal-RDW group than it was in the high-RDW group (P = 0.005). With a median follow-up of 47 months, the normal-RDW group showed better progression-free survival (PFS) (24.2 versus 17.0 months, P = 0.029) compared to the high-RDW group. Overall survival was not different according to the RDW level (P = 0.236). In multivariate analysis, elevated RDW at diagnosis was a poor prognostic factor for PFS (HR 3.21, 95% CI 1.24–8.32) after adjustment with other myeloma-related prognostic factors. RDW would be a simple and immediately available biomarker of symptomatic MM, reflecting the systemic inflammation.

Peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation following myeloablative therapy is a mainstay of treatment for various types of malignancies. This study aimed to evaluate the differences between the Optia MNC and COBE Spectra MNC systems (Terumo BCT, Japan) according to apheresis procedures and the parameters of apheresis, products, and collection. The clinical data of 74 patients who underwent autologous PBSC collection from July 2012 to July 2015 were reviewed retrospectively. The patients comprised 48 (65%) men and 26 (35%) women with a median age of 56 yr (range, 23–66 yr). Of 216 procedures, 111 (51%) and 105 (49%) were processed by using COBE and Optia MNC, respectively. PBSC collection rates, throughput, numbers of stem cells retrieved, collection efficacy, and platelet loss were compared. There were no significant differences in the median CD34+ cell counts of collected products (0.61×108 vs 0.94×108), CD34 collection efficiency (43.5% vs 42.1%), and loss of platelets (40.1% vs 44.7%). The Spectra Optia MNC apheresis system was comparable to the COBE Spectra system in collecting autologous CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells and retention of platelets.

We evaluated the association between the expression of myeloid antigens on neoplastic plasma cells and patient prognosis. The expression status of CD13, CD19, CD20, CD33, CD38, CD56, and CD117 was analyzed on myeloma cells from 55 newly diagnosed patients, including 36 men (65%), of median age 61 years (range: 38–78). Analyzed clinical characteristics and laboratory parameters were as follows: serum β2-microglobulin, lactate dehydrogenase, calcium, albumin, hemoglobin, serum creatinine concentrations, bone marrow histology, and cytogenetic findings. CD13+ and CD33+ were detected in 53% and 18%, respectively. Serum calcium (P = 0.049) and LDH (P = 0.018) concentrations were significantly higher and morphologic subtype of immature or plasmablastic was more frequent in CD33+ than in CD33− patients (P = 0.022). CD33 and CD13 expression demonstrate a potential prognostic impact and were associated with lower overall survival (OS; P = 0.001 and P = 0.025) in Kaplan-Meier analysis. Multivariate analysis showed that CD33 was independently prognostic of shorter progression free survival (PFS; P = 0.037) and OS (P = 0.001) with correction of clinical prognostic factors. This study showed that CD13 and CD33 expression associated with poor prognosis in patients with MM implicating the need of analysis of these markers in MM diagnosis.