Using Flow Cytometry Marker CD200 to Predict Multiple Myeloma Outcomes

Many myeloma patients have flow cytometry tests performed that show the presence of specific CD markers. CD38 and CD138 are very common in multiple myeloma and other markers are being evaluated as potential targets or potential indicators of disease risk. CD200 is a marker found to affect tumor growth in leukemia and other cancers. 

Chinese researchers from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University reported results on a recent study to determine the impact of CD200 expression in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients. They found that CD200 positive patients had significantly shorter median overall survival (41 months) compared to CD200 negative patients (not yet reached at study conclusion). There was a correlation between the presence of CD200 and CD4 and CD8 immune cells. According to the study:

The ratio of CD4⁺ to CD8⁺ T cells was lower in CD200⁺ patients and this reduction was significantly related to the increase of CD8⁺ T cells (p = .021).

They analyzed the changes in CD200 expression of 47 CD200 positive patients during treatment. They found that 80.9% of the patients (38 patients) became CD200 negative during treatment and these patients had better survival compared with the others. 

The researchers concluded that CD200 positivity may be an independent marker to assess myeloma progression during treatment.