Abstract
Multiple myeloma is a neoplastic disease characterised by the proliferation of clonal, atypical plasma cells. In cancer cells, the balance between two paths of cell death, necroptosis and apoptosis, is disrupted. The aim of this study was to analyse the occurrence of polymorphisms in genes encoding key proteins for the necroptosis process, i.e., RIPK-1, RIPK-3 and MAPKAPK2. We investigated the potential relations between the occurrence of genetic variability and the clinical course of the disease. We analysed six single-nucleotide polymorphisms in a population of patients with multiple myeloma (n = 205) and healthy volunteers (n = 100): RIPK1 rs2272990, RIPK1 rs9391981, RIPK3 rs724165, RIPK3rs3212243, MAPKAPK2, rs45514798 and MAPKAPK2 rs4073250. We found that genotypes rs9391981 CG, rs724165 CG, rs3212243 GG, and rs4073250 AA were independent predictors of overall survival, while genotype MAPKAPK2 rs4073250 AA was an independent predictor of progression-free survival. MAPKAPK2 rs45514798 AA was associated with polyneuropathy after thalidomide therapy. In conclusion, some of the SNPs tested have potential prognostic value and could be used as marker of survival in patients with multiple myeloma.