I agree with Leonel. In cases with plasma cell count in the smear is approx. 10% and there are no solid infiltrates in the biopsy, the flow gives an information if there are only pathological PC present or if there still is a normal PC background. This information can be valuable for the hematologist. Kind regards Anna Porwit At 09:26 2001-12-06 -0500, you wrote: > > >The same here. However in my practice environment oncologists submit a good >number of bone marrow biopsies as part of the evaluation of a patient with a >monoclonal spike. In these cases the plasma cell count is between 5 and >10%. It is very difficult to detect clonality by immunohistochemistry or to >infer plasma cell dyscrasia by morphology alone. Flow Cytometry can >definitely add significant information to these cases. Good articles are >available that discuss some of the benefits. I am sure there will be more. > >Leonel Edwards, M.D. >Medical Director >Clinical Immunology, Flow Cytometry and Molecular Pathology Laboratories >Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine >Danbury Hospital >203-797-7527 > > -----Original Message----- >From: Timothy Singleton, M.D. [mailto:tsingleton@smtpgw.beaumont.edu] >Sent: Monday, December 03, 2001 5:29 PM >To: Cytometry Mailing List >Subject: Re: Antibodies for malignant plasma cells > > >I have mixed feelings about performing flow cytometry for monoclonal >gammopathies. >These patients all have monoclonal plasma cells. Phenotyping just documents >whether the >clone is detectable by flow cytometry and whether there might be a >phenotypic aberrancy >that correlates with malignancy. Flow cytometry might not be necessary for >diagnosis. > >From a patient care perspective multiple myeloma is incurable, except >possibly for newer >modalities, such as allogeneic bone marrow transplant. Some clinical >textbooks just >recommend following the patients and waiting for clinical signs of disease >progression >(anemia, lytic bone lesions, etc.) to decide when to initiate treatment. > >Tim Singleton, MD >Royal Oak, MI > >>>> "Andrea Illingworth" <dcdsflow@mint.net> 11/30/01 04:03PM >>> >Dear group, >What are your thoughts on the use of CD40 to differentiate normal plasma >cells from >myeloma cells? >Currently we are using the CD45/CD56/CD38 combination but we are looking >into either >adding CD138 and/or CD40. Would you recommend one over the other or >recommend adding >both antibodies? > >Thank you for your input! > >Andrea Illingworth >Dahl-Chase Flow Cytometry >Bangor, Maine 04401 >Andrea_Illingworth@dahlchase.com > > > > Anna Porwit Hematopathology Lab. Department of Pathology, Radiumhemmet Karolinska Hospital, 171 76 Stockholm, Sweden Anja.Porwit@ks.se tel.:+46-851774518 fax.:+46-851775843
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