尚未确定 MGUS 病因方面的危险因素,但有证据表明家族性因素占一定的比重。两项大型研究表明,MGUS 和多发性骨髓瘤患者的家庭成员发生 MGUS 的可能性增加至 3 倍。[11]Vachon CM, Kyle RA, Therneau TM, et al. Increased risk of monoclonal gammopathy in first-degree relatives of patients with multiple myeloma or monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. Blood. 2009;114:785-790.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19179466?tool=bestpractice.com[12]Landgren O, Kristinsson SY, Goldin LR, et al. Risk of plasma cell and lymphoproliferative disorders among 14621 first-degree relatives of 4458 patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance in Sweden. Blood. 2009;114:791-795.http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/114/4/791.fullhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19182202?tool=bestpractice.com 一级血亲的患病风险为一般人群的 2-3 倍。[6]Landgren O, Weiss BM. Patterns of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and multiple myeloma in various ethnic/racial groups: support for genetic factors in pathogenesis. Leukemia. 2009;23:1691-1697.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19587704?tool=bestpractice.com与白人血统相比,黑人血统与 MGUS 发病率增加至 2-3 倍有关。[4]Wadhera RK, Rajkumar SV. Prevalence of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance: a systematic review. Mayo Clin Proc. 2010;85:933-942.http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(11)60235-8/fulltexthttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20713974?tool=bestpractice.com[6]Landgren O, Weiss BM. Patterns of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and multiple myeloma in various ethnic/racial groups: support for genetic factors in pathogenesis. Leukemia. 2009;23:1691-1697.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19587704?tool=bestpractice.com 以上研究发现虽然支持遗传因素在病因方面起作用,但并不能证明该作用。
几项基于人群的研究表明,自身免疫性疾病或感染的个人史与 MGUS 后续诊断之间存在关联。[6]Landgren O, Weiss BM. Patterns of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and multiple myeloma in various ethnic/racial groups: support for genetic factors in pathogenesis. Leukemia. 2009;23:1691-1697.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19587704?tool=bestpractice.com[13]Brown LM, Gridley G, Check D, et al. Risk of multiple myeloma and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance among white and black male United States veterans with prior autoimmune, infectious, inflammatory, and allergic disorders. Blood. 2008;111:3388-3394.http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/111/7/3388.fullhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18239085?tool=bestpractice.com 一些临床观察表明,免疫球蛋白水平降低(这可能导致反复感染)可能是未发现 MGUS 的一种表现。个案佐证表明,MGUS 可能更常见于 HIV 感染或移植患者。[14]Amara S, Dezube BJ, Cooley TP, et al. HIV-associated monoclonal gammopathy: a retrospective analysis of 25 patients. Clin Infect Dis. 2006;43:1198-1205.https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/43/9/1198/426229/HIV-Associated-Monoclonal-Gammopathy-Ahttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17029142?tool=bestpractice.com需要进一步进行设计严密的研究,以支持上述观察结果。
已经发现辐射暴露与 MGUS 风险增加相关。[4]Wadhera RK, Rajkumar SV. Prevalence of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance: a systematic review. Mayo Clin Proc. 2010;85:933-942.http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(11)60235-8/fulltexthttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20713974?tool=bestpractice.com在一项关于长崎原子弹爆炸后幸存者的大规模筛查研究中,发生暴露时年龄较小以及辐射剂量较高与 MGUS 发生风险较高相关。MGUS 的患病率与距辐射源的距离、辐射剂量和年龄的关系:有低质量证据表明,在 20 岁以下的人群中,与受到原子弹辐射的距离> 3.0 km 相比,该距离≤ 1.5 km 时,MGUS 的患病率更高(2.3% vs 2.7%)。在 20 岁以上接触原子弹辐射的人群中,未发现上述差异。在 20 岁以下的人群中,与辐射量<0.01 Gy 相比,辐射量> 0.1 Gy 时,MGUS 的患病率也显著升高(1.6% vs 2.5%)。在普通人群中,50 岁以上成人的总体 MGUS 患病率为 3%。[3]Kyle RA, Therneau TM, Rajkumar SV, et al. Prevalence of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. N Engl J Med. 2006;354:1362-1369.http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa054494#t=articlehttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16571879?tool=bestpractice.com[15]Iwanaga M, Tagawa M, Tsukasaki K, et al. Relationship between monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and radiation exposure in Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors. Blood. 2009;113:1639-1650.http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/113/8/1639.fullhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18849487?tool=bestpractice.com低质量的观察性(队列)研究或者受试者<200名且方法学存在缺陷的随机对照临床试验(RCT)。然而,辐射暴露与 MGUS 的恶性进展之间的关联尚不清楚。
还发现杀虫剂职业暴露与 MGUS 风险增加相关。[4]Wadhera RK, Rajkumar SV. Prevalence of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance: a systematic review. Mayo Clin Proc. 2010;85:933-942.http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(11)60235-8/fulltexthttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20713974?tool=bestpractice.com在一项研究中,与来自明尼苏达州的男性人群样本相比,杀虫剂使用者的 MGUS 患病率增加至两倍,支持了某些特殊杀虫剂与出现骨髓瘤之间有因果关系这一假设。[16]Landgren O, Kyle RA, Hoppin JA, et al. Pesticide exposure and risk of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance in the Agricultural Health Study. Blood. 2009;113:6386-6391.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19387005?tool=bestpractice.com
在一项基于人群的大型研究中,美国北/中西部与南部/西部地区的 MGUS 标化患病率分别为 3% 和 2% ,这可能反映了这两部分地区之间的环境暴露和种族差异。[5]Landgren O, Graubard BI, Katzmann JA, et al. Racial disparities in the prevalence of monoclonal gammopathies: a population-based study of 12,482 persons from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey. Leukemia. 2014;28:1537-1542.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4090286/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24441287?tool=bestpractice.com
由于骨髓样本增殖率低,浆细胞数量少, MGUS 患者的常规细胞遗传学检查结果通常是正常的。与此相反,更灵敏的检测方法显示,染色体异常在 MGUS 患者中常见。[17]Fonseca R, Bailey RJ, Ahmann GJ, et al. Genomic abnormalities in monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. Blood. 2002;100:1417-1424.http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/100/4/1417.fullhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12149226?tool=bestpractice.com间期荧光原位杂交分析显示,约 50% 的 MGUS 患者为非染色体整倍体。[18]Rasillo A, Tabernero MD, Sanchez ML, et al. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis of aneuploidization patterns in monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance versus multiple myeloma and plasma cell leukemia. Cancer. 2003;97:601-609.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.11100/fullhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12548602?tool=bestpractice.com
约 50% 的 MGUS 患者有染色体 14q32 上的免疫球蛋白重链基因位点易位。这包括影响细胞周期蛋白 D1 基因的 t(11; 14) 易位、影响 FGFR-3 和 MMSET 基因的 t(4; 14) 易位、影响细胞周期蛋白 D3 基因的 t(6; 14) 易位,影响 cmaf 基因的 t(14; 16) 易位以及影响 mafB 基因的 t(14; 20) 易位。[19]Mailankody S, Mena E, Yuan CM, et al. Molecular and biologic markers of progression in monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance to multiple myeloma. Leuk Lymphoma. 2010;51:2159-2170.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20958231?tool=bestpractice.com目前,可使用基因表达谱分析来鉴别正常浆细胞和见于 MGUS 和其他浆细胞疾病的浆细胞。根据目前所知,尚无确定的遗传异常被用于区分 MGUS 和多发性骨髓瘤。[17]Fonseca R, Bailey RJ, Ahmann GJ, et al. Genomic abnormalities in monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. Blood. 2002;100:1417-1424.http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/100/4/1417.fullhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12149226?tool=bestpractice.com[18]Rasillo A, Tabernero MD, Sanchez ML, et al. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis of aneuploidization patterns in monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance versus multiple myeloma and plasma cell leukemia. Cancer. 2003;97:601-609.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.11100/fullhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12548602?tool=bestpractice.com类似地,也没有确定的分子标记物用于区分有良性临床病程的 MGUS 患者和最终会发展为多发性骨髓瘤或相关浆细胞增殖性疾病的 MGUS 患者。目前,正在该领域进行深入研究。