Plasma cells in multiple myeloma express a natural killer cell- associated antigen: CD56 (NKH-1; Leu-19)

Abstract

Bone marrow samples from 55 patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and 23 patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undertermined significance (MGUS) were evaluated with a broad panel of monoclonal antibodies. Plasma cells from 78% (43/55) of patients with MM strongly expressed the natural killer cell antigen CD56 (NKH-1, Leu-19). Of the 23 patients with MGUS, none showed strong CD56 reactivity, although three had weak reactivity in less than 20% of plasma cells. Myeloma cells expressing CD56 did not coexpress the CD57 or CD16 antigens. Patients with CD56-positive plasma cells had both indolent and aggressive disease. However, the 12 CD56-negative patients had predominantly aggressive disease with an unexpected preponderance of kappa Bence Jones only myeloma (5/10[50%] evaluable patients). Polyclonal plasma cells from non-neoplastic tissue sites (normal bone marrows, lymph nodes, tonsillar biopsies, and gut-mucosa biopsies) showed a near absence of CD56. We conclude that isolated, strong CD56 expression is common in MM, but not in MGUS or reactive plasma cells. The potential biologic importance of CD56 positivity in myeloma is reviewed.

The absence of CD56 on malignant plasma cells in the cerebrospinal fluid is the hallmark of multiple myeloma involving central nervous system

“…CD56 is expressed on all human natural killer cells, some T-lymphocyte subsets, neurons and astrocytes (Van Camp et al, 1990;Kaiser et al, 1996) and may have a role in embryonic development, cell migration and adhesion (Kaiser et al, 1996). The CD56 is detected on 60-80% of MM (Rawstron et al, 1999;Ely & Knowles, 2002;Sahara et al, 2002) but not on PCL (Pellat-Deceunynck et al, 1998).…”

Pulmonary parenchymal infiltrates in a patient with CD20‐positive multiple myeloma

“…MM cells isolated from the bone marrow expressed CD56. Because CD56 has been considered to have an important role in anchoring MM cells to bone marrow stroma (29), CD56negative MM cells may partially infiltrate pulmonary parenchyma. It is widely recognized that pulmonary parenchymal infiltrates occur with other hematological malignancies such as malignant lymphoma, Wal-denstro¨m's macroglobulinemia, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and that these malignant cells often display CD20 (30)(31)(32)(33).…”

CD27 is heterogeneously expressed in multiple myeloma: low CD27 expression in patients with high‐risk disease

“…The plasma cells are phenotypically characterized by a strong expression of CD38 and CD138 (syndecan-1) (Wijdenes et al, 1996), but can display an aberrant phenotype compared with normal plasma cells. Asynchronous expression has been reported for CD56 (NCAM) (Van Camp et al, 1990) that is expressed in the majority of MM patients; CD117 (c-kit), which is expressed in approximately one third of myeloma patients (Lemoli et al, 1994), and CD28 and CD86 that are associated with extramedullary expansion of the tumour clone (Robillard et al, 1998). Mature myeloma plasma cells usually lack expression of CD19 (Harada et al, 1993).…”