UKMF Science

Meeting Abstracts

Articles

Paraproteins (including multi-choice questions)

Scientific Aims of the UKMF

We aim to promote scientific studies in the area of myeloma with the purpose of improving the treatment of patients in the UK.

In particular we wish to foster the clinical science/trials interface by encouraging the development of trials protocols which collect and analyse biological material from patients entered into trials. Additionally we would seek to encourage all research activity in the field of myeloma and plasma cell biology.

Myeloma Research in the UK

We have asked a number of groups who we knew carry out work on myeloma. A description of their work is laid out below. We would emphasise that these are not the only groups carrying out myeloma research in the UK, and would encourage groups not listed to supply a description of their work for inclusion.

Investigator(s)	Project	Location
Freda Stevenson and Terry Hamblin	Genetic vaccines	Southampton
Mark Drayson and Ian MacLennan	Central trials laboratory and Immune regulations	Birmingham
Anne Willis	c-myc and myeloma	Leicester
Miep Helfrich, Mike Rogers, Stuart Ralston, Mike Greaves	Anti-tumour effects of bisphosphonates in multiple myeloma	Aberdeen
Peter Croucher	Bone metabolism and multiple myeloma	Oxford
Gareth Morgan, Anthony Child	Genetic events involved in switch recombination, clinical trials and prognostic factors	Leeds
Atul Mehta		Royal Free Hospital
Fiona Ross	Cytogenetics	Wessex Regional Cytogenetics Unit
Jamie Cavenagh	Anti-angiogenic therapies in myeloma. NK cell activity during thalidomide therapy.	St Bartholomew's Hospital
Graham Jackson, Mark Velangi	Defects of the DNA mismatch repair system and pathogenesis of PCD's	Newcastle

LRF / UKMF Cytogenetics Database

The Wessex Regional Genetics Laboratory can accept myeloma samples to attempt karyotyping and FISH analysis for anyone who does not have this service from their local cytogenetics lab.

This service is funded by the Leukaemia Research Fund and so will not cost you anything other than the postage for the samples. Provided we receive an adequate sample we will report the results of FISHing for 13q and also of karyotyping if this is abnormal. We will be gathering data using a number of other FISH probes, but will not be reporting these results at present.

Although we are glad to provide results where possible, this is essentially a research project. We have to be able to correlate cytogenetic factors with other aspects of the disease. We will therefore need basic patient details such as FBC, urea, creatinine, calcium, albumin, LDH, β₂m, CRP, type and level of paraprotein, BJP +/- and amount, details of the aspirate and trephine taken at the time of our sample, results of the skeletal survey, along with later details of disease course in a timely manner when requested. We will provide you with forms for registering this data.

N.B. An adequate sample is obviously essential. Preliminary work has shown that the standard size of sample sent for cytogenetics is inadequate for this study, where we need to separate out the plasma cells. We need at least 3ml of marrow with as much as possible from the first pull. Filling up the tube with marrow blood is not helpful! If your patient is sedated it may be possible for you to perform two aspirates, one for morphology and one for cytogenetics.

If you are interested in using this service please phone, fax or e-mail Fiona Ross to give us your details, discuss numbers and notification and to see whether you require transport medium to be sent.

LRF UK Myeloma Forum Cytogenetics Database
Wessex Regional Genetics Laboratory
Salisbury District Hospital
Salisbury
Wilts SP2 8BJ
Tel: 01722 429087 Fax: 01722 338095