Morphologic and cytogenetic variables affect the flow cytometric recovery of plasma cell myeloma cells in bone marrow aspirates

• Published in: International journal of laboratory hematology 2015-12, Vol.37 (6), p.797-808
• Main Authors: Cogbill, C. H., Spears, M. D., Vantuinen, P., Harrington, A. M., Olteanu, H., Kroft, S. H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Antigens, CD - metabolism; Biomarkers; Biopsy; Bone Marrow - pathology; Chromosome Aberrations; cytogenetics; Female; Flow Cytometry; Humans; Immunophenotyping; Male; Middle Aged; Multiple Myeloma - diagnosis; Multiple Myeloma - genetics; myeloma; plasma cell leukemia; Plasma cells; Plasma Cells - metabolism; Plasma Cells - pathology; Retrospective Studies
• ISSN: 1751-5521; 1751-553X
• DOI: 10.1111/ijlh.12411

Summary Introduction It is widely recognized that plasma cells (PCs) are under‐represented in flow cytometry (FC) studies, but the causes of this phenomenon are poorly understood. We sought to study potential variables that affect PC recovery by flow cytometry (FC) in the analysis of plasma cell myeloma (PCM). Methods We retrospectively performed PC differential counts and morphologic assessment on PCM peripheral blood (PB) smears, bone marrow (BM) aspirate smears and posterythrocyte lysis cytospins. PCs were enumerated by FC, excluding erythroid events/debris, and were defined as CD38(bright+), CD45(dim to negative) events. PC recovery was calculated as follows: cytospin/aspirate, FC/aspirate, and FC/cytospin. Results Sixty‐four BM analyses from 42 patients showed a mean aspirate PC% of 32.9 ± 23.2%. The mean PC% decreased in both the cytospin (10.9%) and by FC (8.2%). The difference between PC% in the cytospin and by FC was statistically significant (P