When comparing patients diagnosed with MGUS (patients no. 2, 3) to patients with aggressive symptomatic myeloma (translocation t(4;14); patients no. 1, 20), degree of bone marrow infiltration and Ki-67 index are lower in MGUS, but none of the other parameters described distinguishes between the asymptomatic precursor form and full-blown myeloma (table S1). The gene discussed is MKI67; the disease is plasma cell myeloma.