Comparisons between the lung cancer group and control group, the MM group and control group, and the lung cancer group and the MM group were analyzed by rank-sum test. The correlation between NSE level in new MM patients and the amount of the prognostic indicator ��2-MG was analyzed by Spearman’s rank test. Results 1 Among the 52 MM patients evaluated, 34 exhibited increased serum NSE levels, accounting for 65.4% of all patients with MM. Spearman’s statistical analysis showed r=0.692, p<0.05 (Table 1), indicating that NSE serum levels in MM patients were positively correlated with IHC results. Table 1 Correlation analysis of serum NSE levels and IHC results. 2 Comparison of serum NSE levels between the control and small cell lung cancer groups (Table 2) Table 2 Comparison of serum NSE levels between small cell lung cancer group and control group.

As shown in Table 2, the serum NSE level in the control group all fell within the normal range, whereas the level in lung cancer group were significantly higher at the level of third percentile (P<0.05). 3 Comparison of serum NSE levels between the control and MM groups (Table 3) Table 3 Comparison of serum NSE levels between MM group and control group. As shown in Table 3, NSE serum levels in 18 cases in the MM group were negative. However, at the level of third percentile, NSE levels of the MM group were significantly higher than those of the control group (P<0.05). 4 Comparison of serum NSE levels between the small cell lung cancer and MM groups (Table 4) Table 4 Comparison of serum NSE levels between small cell lung cancer group and MM group.

As shown in Table 4, at the level of third percentile, NSE levels in the small cell lung cancer group were significantly higher than those of the MM group (P<0.05). 5 Immunohistochemistry for NSE in patients with previously untreated MM (Figure 1) reveals clear brownish-yellow granules in cytoplasm with a positive rate of 45%. Figure 1 NSE immunohistochemical results of patients with previously untreated MM. 6 RT-PCR was used to determine if RNA transcript levels of NSE were elevated in the bone marrow of untreated patients diagnosed with MM. Relative to healthy controls, MM patients exhibited elevated levels of NSE. GAPDH was used as an internal control, and its levels were unchanged between the two groups (Figure 2).

Figure 2 RT-PCR product electrophoresis for GAPDH (control and NSE) in previously untreated MM patients GSK-3 and controls. 7 Correlation between NSE level in patients with previously untreated MM and the amount of the prognostic indicator ��2-MG (Figure 3) Figure 3 Correlation between NSE level in patients with previously untreated MM and the amount of the prognostic indicator ��2-MG. According to Spearman’s rank test, r=0.749, P<0.01, there is a significant positive correlation between ��2-MG and NSE levels in MM patients.