High circulating levels of IL-6 in myeloma patients has been shown to impair generation and function of DCs, stimulating CD34+ cells to differentiate into monocytic cells which can perform phagocytosis but are unable to present myeloma epitopes to, and thereby activate, T cells.42 Additionally, there are 2 dominant subsets of DCs- myeloid and plasmacytoid. The gene discussed is CD34; the disease is plasma cell myeloma.