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Review
. 2019 Jun 10;20(11):2822.
doi: 10.3390/ijms20112822.

Lymphocyte Subsets and Inflammatory Cytokines of Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance and Multiple Myeloma

Alessandro Allegra  1 , Vanessa Innao  2 , Andrea Gaetano Allegra  3 , Marta Pugliese  4 , Eleonora Di Salvo  5 , Elvira Ventura-Spagnolo  6 , Caterina Musolino  7 , Sebastiano Gangemi  8
Affiliations
Review

Lymphocyte Subsets and Inflammatory Cytokines of Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance and Multiple Myeloma

Alessandro Allegra et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Almost all multiple myeloma (MM) cases have been demonstrated to be linked to earlier monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). Nevertheless, there are no identified characteristics in the diagnosis of MGUS that have been helpful in differentiating subjects whose cancer may progress to a malignant situation. Regarding malignancy, the role of lymphocyte subsets and cytokines at the beginning of neoplastic diseases is now incontestable. In this review, we have concentrated our attention on the equilibrium between the diverse lymphocyte subsets and the cytokine system and summarized the current state of knowledge, providing an overview of the condition of the entire system in MGUS and MM. In an age where the therapy of neoplastic monoclonal gammopathies largely relies on drugs capable of acting on the immune system (immunomodulants, immunological checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T), detailed knowledge of the the differences existing in benign and neoplastic forms of gammopathy is the main foundation for the adequate and optimal use of new drugs.

Keywords: T lymphocytes; alarmin; cytokine; immunosurveillance; inflammation; monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance; multiple myeloma.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Immune cells involved in multiple myeloma (MM) pathogenesis. The more the arrows are thicker, the most the pathways seems being involved.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cytokines and cell subsets involved in the multiple myeloma (MM) peripheral microenvironment. (a). Cytokines and cell subsets involved in MM bone marrow microenvironment. (b). Cytokines and cell subsets involved in MM peripheral microenvironment.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cytokines and cell subsets involved in the multiple myeloma (MM) peripheral microenvironment. (a). Cytokines and cell subsets involved in MM bone marrow microenvironment. (b). Cytokines and cell subsets involved in MM peripheral microenvironment.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in multiple myeloma (MM) progression.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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