Figure 2

The proportion of HPCs is significantly decreased in the myeloma bone marrow in both primary patients and the MM mouse model. (A) Flow cytometry was used to detect CD138⁺CD38⁺ myeloma cells and CD45⁺CD34⁺ HSPCs in bone marrow samples from NDMM patients and normal donors. (B) Bar charts represent the mean proportions of CD138⁺CD38⁺ plasma cells and CD45⁺CD34⁺ HSPCs in normal donors and NDMM patients. (C) The proportion of CD45⁺CD34⁺ cells in NDMM patients was negatively correlated with the proportion of CD138⁺ myeloma cells (r =  − 0.6112, p < 0.0001, n = 50). (D) Flow plots (left) and a histogram (right) show the percentage of HSPCs in normal donors and NDMM patients. The subset composition of HSPCs (Lin⁻CD34⁺), including HPCs (Lin⁻CD34⁺CD38⁺) and HSCs (Lin⁻CD34⁺CD38^-), was determined in BM samples from normal donors and NDMM patients. (E) The subsets of HSPCs, including HPCs (Lin⁻, c-kit⁺, Sca-1^-) and HSCs (Lin⁻, c-kit⁺, Sca-1⁺), were determined in BM samples from the 5TGM1 myeloma mouse model and control mice. (F) The proportion (left) and absolute number (right) of HSPC subsets were investigated (n = 10 per group).