Figure 5.

Real-time PCR analysis of FLT3 gene expression in CD138⁺-purified MM cells and MM cell lines. (A) CD138⁺ cells were purified from bone marrow aspirates of NDMM and RRMM patients and FLT3 transcript copies were calculated in 50 ng of total RNA input after normalization of samples by Actin beta. Copy numbers were calculated by the use of an external standard consisting of serial dilutions of a FLT3-cDNA-containing plasmid. In both NDMM and RRMM, a subgroup of patients displayed higher FLT3 gene expression (triangles, >2000 copies). (B) FLT3 RT-PCR was performed on cDNA of human myeloma cell lines (KMS12-BM, KMS12-PE, NCI-H929), and the AML cell line MOLM13 and FLT3 gene transcripts were quantified as above.