fig3

Figure 3. Immunophenotype of CD138⁺ and CD138^- EVs. (A) EVs from PB plasma samples (n = 22) obtained from 13 MM patients were analyzed by flow cytometry to assess the expression of NAMPT/PBEF1 (PBEF), CD38, CD203a, CD39, and CD73 in CD138⁺ (black dots) and CD138^- (white dots) EVs. Data are expressed as MRFI. Horizontal bars indicate the mean. The asterisk indicates statistically significant differences calculated using the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test or paired t test, depending on data distribution (^*P ≤ 0.05, ^***P ≤ 0.001); (B) shows a representative experiment. Dark grey profiles indicate staining with specific mAbs, whereas light grey profiles correspond to staining with irrelevant isotype-matched mAbs. A plot showing CD138 expression on EVs and the gating strategy is shown in the upper panel. EVs: Extracellular vesicles; PB: peripheral blood; MM: multiple myeloma; NAMPT/PBEF1 (PBEF): nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase/pre-B-cell colony-enhancing factor 1; MRFI: mean relative fluorescence intensity; mAbs: monoclonal antibodies; CD: cluster of differentiation.