CBC-Based Inflammatory Indices in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer characterized by the abnormal growth of plasma cells in the bone marrow. Increasing evidence indicates that interactions between myeloma cells and the host immune-inflammatory response influence disease behavior and patient outcomes. Inflammatory markers calculated from routine complete blood count (CBC) tests, such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), offer simple, inexpensive ways to assess systemic inflammation. However, how these markers correlate with baseline clinical presentation, laboratory disease burden, and tumor cell immunophenotypes remains insufficiently explored.

The primary purpose of this cross-sectional study is to evaluate the association between CBC-based inflammatory indices and clinical and laboratory measures of disease severity in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma prior to the start of anti-myeloma therapy. The study will also examine the relationship between these inflammatory indices and the specific immunophenotypic characteristics of neoplastic plasma cells identified via bone marrow flow cytometry.

A total of 60 patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma presenting to Assiut University Hospital and the South Egypt Cancer Institute will be enrolled. Baseline demographic and clinical data (including CRAB manifestations and ISS/R-ISS staging), routine blood laboratory results (including albumin, beta-2 microglobulin, and LDH), bone marrow plasma cell percentages, and flow cytometric findings will be collected and analyzed.