Progression and Free Progression Survival Indices in Patients with Multiple Myeloma

The main feature in multiple myeloma is osteolysis and, hence, bone turnover markers have got the at mostcare in different studies on this disease. The present paper would stress on the calculation of free progressionsurvival indices using some of these markers .Sixty-five MM (males=41, females=24) patients distributed to different hematologycenters in Iraq wereenrolled in this study. Their age range was 39-81 years, they were distributed all on three stages of thediseaseaccording to the international staging system (ISS) : Group A – Stage I (n=21 patients, age mean57.14±12.25 years), Group B – Stage II (n=22 patients, age mean of 56.45±11.33 years), and Group C-StageIII (n=22 patients, age mean 60.59±11.55 years). Blood samples were taken from each patient just priorto starting the chemotherapy for the measurement of blood hemoglobin (Hb), serum Creatinine, Calcium,?2 Microglubulin, Osteocalcin (OC), total and Beta C-terminal telopeptide (CTX, BCTX), Parathyroidhormone (PTH), Syndecan-1 (CD138), and both kappa & lambda free light chain (FLC?, FLC?).There was no significant association between age, sex, body weight and residency with disease staging orprogression. From the bone markers studied only CTX and BCTX were significantly associated with thedisease progression and showing varying free progression patient survival times with CTX and BCTX atdifferent concentrations.The comparison between the results of the newly diagnosed and long-standing patients revealed that onlytotal FLC, FLC?, FLC? and CD138 were significantly higher in the long-standing patients. Their sensitivityand specificity values were varying among these markers.