Blood, 1960, Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 103-113.
© 1960 American Society of Hematology, Inc.
Distinctive Myeloma Globulins Associated with a New
Plasma Cell Neoplasm of Strain C3H Mice
JOHN L. FAHEY 1,
MICHAEL POTTER 1,
FREDERICK J. GUTTER 1, and
THELMA B. DUNN 1
1 National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, U.S.P.H.S.,
A transmissible plasma-cell neoplasm (5647) accompanied by marked
serum protein changes has been described in the mouse. The principal
characteristics of this neoplasm and the associated serum protein changes
have remained unchanged during two years of observation.
The transplanted neoplasm usually remains confined to the site of implantation. Osteolytic lesions and abnormal cells in the peripheral blood
were not seen.
Morphologically the neoplastic cells retain many characteristics of normal
plasma-cells, with clumping of the nuclear chromatin, an eccentric nucleus
and a clear zone in the basophilic cytoplasm.
Serum electrophoretic analyses revealed a markedly abnormal serum
protein pattern. The total serum protein was increased by two to three
grams per cent in mice bearing 5647 neoplasms weighing 6 grams or more.
Increased amounts of proteins with beta globulin and fast gamma globulin
electrophoretic mobility were the most striking electrophoretic findings.
These components comprised as much as 35 per cent of the serum proteins
in animals with large neoplasms.
Serum ultracentrifugal analyses also demonstrated a markedly abnormal
distribution of the serum proteins. Normal mouse serum contains components
with sedimentation coefficients (S20,W) of 4, 6.5 and 16 S. Serum of mice
bearing neoplasm 5647 contained, in addition to the normal components,
proteins with sedimentation coefficients of 9, 11 and 13 S. These serum components, accounting for as much as 20 per cent of the total protein, have been
found only with neoplasm 5647.
The quantity of the abnormal serum components seen on electrophoretic
and ultracentrifugal analyses was found to increase as the tumor weight
increased.
Bence Jones protein was not found in the urine of mice bearing the
5647 neoplasm.
Neoplasm 5647 was found to differ significantly in biologic behavior and in
the associated serum protein changes from two other transmissible plasma-cell neoplasms of the mouse (5563 and 70429) which have been under observation in these laboratories.
The mouse plasma-cell neoplasm 5647 resembles in several characteristics
the malignant plasmacytomas in man having associated myeloma proteins
of beta globulin electrophoretic mobility.
Submitted on March 7, 1959
Accepted on May 16, 1959
