High Th1/Th2 ratio in patients with multiple myeloma

To determine the clinical significance of the T helper 1 (Th1)/T helper 2 (Th2) ratio in multiple myeloma, the intracellular IFN-gamma and IL-4 were analyzed by flow cytometry in 56 patients with Multiple myeloma. The mean Th1/Th2 ratio of cases in the initial diagnosis phase and the refractory phase were higher than that of the control group. The mean serum beta-2-microglobulin in the high Th1/Th2 subgroup was significantly higher than that in the normal Th1/Th2 subgroup (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the Th1/Th2 ratio was closely related to the disease status of multiple myeloma. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.