Serum syndecan-1, basic fibroblast growth factor and osteoprotegerin in myeloma patients at diagnosis and during the course of the disease.

UNLABELLED

Neovascularisation and bone resorption are related to myeloma disease activity.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the possible prognostic importance of serum syndecan-1, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) levels, the relationship between them, with parameters of disease activity and the effect of treatment on their levels.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Twenty-seven patients were studied from diagnosis and an additional five from remission, for a median follow-up of 40 months. Twenty-three patients received chemotherapy plus bisphosphonates and nine only bisphosphonates. Sera from 11 healthy individuals (HI) were used as controls. Cytokines were determined by commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) kits.

RESULTS

In HI, median syndecan-1 was 40 ng/mL (28-75), bFGF 8 pg/mL (7-30), OPG 35 pg/mL (4-100). Pretreatment median serum syndecan-1 was 177.5 ng/mL (34-3500), bFGF 11.5 pg/mL (8-65) and OPG 100 pg/mL (4-1000). Pretreatment syndecan-1, bFGF and OPG serum levels were increased in patients compared with HI (P = 0.001, 0.03 and 0.01, respectively). Syndecan-1 and bFGF levels were correlated with stage (P = 0.004 and 0.03, respectively). Both syndecan-1 and OPG levels were correlated with beta2M (P = 0.04 and 0.01, respectively). Patients with elevated syndecan-1 and bFGF serum levels had shorter survival than patients with normal levels (P = 0.01 and 0.05, respectively). After chemotherapy syndecan-1 and OPG levels were found to be decreased in responders and syndecan-1 level was reduced in patients receiving bisphosphonates alone.

CONCLUSIONS

Pretreatment syndecan-1, bFGF and OPG levels were found to be increased at diagnosis. Syndecan-1 and OPG fluctuated according to MM activity. Elevated serum syndecan-1 and bFGF levels predicted short survival.