Pretreatment serum β2‐microglobulin in multiple myeloma

Abstract

Summary. Serum beta₂-microglobuline (S-β₂m) was evaluated in 121 untreated patients with multiple myeloma. Values > 3 mg/l were found in 82% of the patients. Mean S-β₂m values of the total group of patients correlated with clinical stage. However, there was no correlation if values were corrected for S-creatinine. Seventy-nine patients had normal (106 μmol/l) and 52 patients abnormal S-creatinine. Patients with S-β₂m values below 7·6 mg/l had an estimated median survival of 44 months compared to 12 months for patients with levels above 7·6 mg/l. If S-β₂m values in patients with normal S-creatinine were combined with values corrected for S-creatinine from patients with elevated S-creatinine a β₂m cut off level of 6·6 mg/l gave a median probable survival of 43 months compared to 14 months. We conclude that pretreatment S-β₂ microglobulin is a useful marker for predicting survival in multiple myeloma. The problem of the relationship between S-β₂m and S-creatinine is discussed.