A frequent target of paraproteins in the sera of patients with multiple myeloma and MGUS

Int J Cancer. 2009 Aug 1;125(3):656-61. doi: 10.1002/ijc.24427.

Abstract

Antigenic targets of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and multiple myeloma (MM) paraproteins might play a role in the pathogenesis of these neoplasms. We screened a human fetal brain-derived macroarray with the IgA or IgG containing sera of 192 consecutive MGUS and MM patients. Twenty-nine of 192 (15.1%) paraproteins reacted with paratarg-7, a protein of unknown function which is expressed in all human tissues. Paratarg-7 reactivity was similarly frequent among IgA and IgG paraproteins, but all paratarg-7 reactive IgG paraproteins belonged to the IgG3 subtype with 24/57 IgG3 (42.1%) paraproteins displaying this specificity. Sequence analysis of paratarg-7 derived from patients having a paraprotein with specificity for paratarg-7 revealed no differences to paratarg-7 derived from patients with paraproteins of other specificities or healthy controls, excluding mutations or polymorphisms as a reason for its autoimmunogenicity. Similarly, Western-blot analysis showed identical bands for paratarg-7 derived from patients and controls. The above-random frequency of paratarg-7 as a paraprotein target suggests that paratarg-7 might be involved in the development of the respective clonal proliferations. The identification of paratarg-7 as an antigenic target enables the more detailed analysis of tumor-host interactions in these patients and their role in the pathogenesis of MM and MGUS.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Blood Proteins / immunology*
  • Blotting, Western
  • Electrophoresis
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting
  • Immunoglobulin A / blood
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Membrane Proteins / immunology*
  • Multiple Myeloma / immunology*
  • Paraproteinemias / immunology*
  • Paraproteins / immunology*

Substances

  • Blood Proteins
  • Immunoglobulin A
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Paraproteins
  • STOML2 protein, human