Recent advances on the prognostic value of immunophenotyping in multiple myeloma by flow cytometry

: Clinical application of flow cytometry in multiple myeloma (MM) can be found in various dimensions, such as in differential diagnosis of malignant plasma cell disorder from reactive plasmacytosis, identification of the progression risk in MM, and in the detection of minimal residual disease. Flow cytometry-based clonality assessment with immuno-phenotyping encourages and enables the most stringent method of diagnosis and follow-up. The objective of this review is to summarize the recent information of the malignant plasma cell phenotypic profile of MM. The most comprehensive antigens, such as CD19, CD27, CD28, CD45, CD56 and CD117, play a significant role in the characterization of normal and malignant plasma cells. This review also focuses on the association of malignant phenotypic markers with chromosomal aberrations that identify the specific prognostic factors in MM.