Beta 2 microglobulin in multiple myeloma.

Serum beta 2 microglobulin levels (B2M) were evaluated before and during chemotherapy in 97 previously untreated patients with multiple myeloma. Pretreatment values were useful in confirming tumor mass grade, and marked reductions following chemotherapy correlated well with the onset of remission. No gain was evident from correcting the B2M for the level of serum creatinine. A pretreatment B2M value greater than 6 mg/L correlated with a low response rate and was the most important variable that predicted a short survival time.