DNA methylation in normal PC, MGUS, SMM and MM

To characterize epigenomic changes during the transformation of normal plasma cells to myeloma, we used the HELP assay to analyze the methylome of CD138+ cells from 56 subjects representing premalignant (MGUS), early and advanced stages of myeloma as well as healthy controls. Plasma cells from premalignant and early stages of myeloma were characterized by striking, widespread hypomethylation. CD138+ selected bone marrow plasma cells from 8 normal donors, 11 patients with monoclonal gammopathy of uncertain significance (MGUS), 4 patients with smoldering myeloma (SMM), 13 patients with newly diagnosed myeloma (NEWMM), 16 patients with relapsed myeloma (REL), including 2 patients with serial samples, and 2 patients in clinical complete remission (REM) were analyzed using the HELP assay [HpaII tiny fragment Enrichment by Ligation-mediated PCR].