OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of PIGF and its receptor Flt-1 in patients with multiple myeloma, and to analyze their correlation with the efficacy of thalidomide-based chemotherapy so as to provide further theoretical basis for individualized treatment.

METHODSA total of 35 patients diagnosed as multiple myeloma from June 2012 to March 2013 in our hospital and 15 non-tumor patients as controls were enrolled in this study. MM patients were treated with thalidomide-based chemotherapy for 3 months, and then were grouped according to the curative effecacy. The expression levels of PIGF and Flt-1 were detected in bone marrow of control and MM patient group by RT-PCR and Western blot before and after chemotherapy, their correlation with chemotherapeutic efficacy was analyzed. Serum concentrations of PITG and Flt-1 were detected in control and MM patients before and after chemotherapy by ELISA and their correlation with the chemotherapeutic efficacy was analyzed.

RESULTSThe effective rate of three-months-thalidomide-based chemotherapy was 54.3% in MM patients. The expression levels of PIGF and Flt-1 in MM patients' bone marrow were obviously higher than those in controls. After chemotherapy, PIGF and Flt-1 expression levels significantly reduced and the decline level was positively correlated with curative effecacy(r=0.71). The serum concentrations of PIGF and Flt-1 in MM patients' bone marrow were obviously higher than those in control. After chemotherapy, serum concentrations of PIGF and Flt-1 were significantly decreased and the decline level positively correlated with curative effecacy(r=0.87).

CONCLUSIONPIGF and FLT-1 are highly expressed in patients with multiple myeloma, and their expression levels positively correlates with curative effecacy of thalidomide-based chemotherapy.