OBJECTIVETo study the expression and significance of IL-27 in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and in the supernatant of MM cell lines U266 and RPMI8226 cells culture medium.

METHODSA total of 20 MM patients and 20 controls were enrolled in this study. The expressions of IL-27 and IL-6 in MM patient's blood plasma, and the expression of IL-27 in U266 and RPMI8226 culture supernatant were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mRNA expression of IL-27 in mononuclear cells of MM patients' peripheral blood was measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTSThe levels of IL-27 in plasma of MM patients and normal controls were (61.82 ± 8.01) ng/L and (8.29 ± 4.41) ng/L (P<0.05), and those of IL-6 were (45.62 ± 1.24) ng/L and (2.27 ± 0.18) ng/L (P<0.05), respectively. The levels of IL-27 in U266 and RPMI8226 culture supernatant were (50.06 ± 5.72) ng/L and (335.47 ± 41.88) ng/L. RT-PCR revealed that the levels of IL-27 mRNA were up-regulated in MM patients compared to controls.

CONCLUSIONHigh expression of IL-27 is observed in MM patients and MM cell lines U266 and RPMI8226 cells. IL-27 may play a important role in pathogenesis of MM.