The presence of lymphoid-associated antigens in adult acute myeloid leukemia is devoid of prognostic relevance.
The immunophenotype of 110 adult patients with diagnosis of acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) was analyzed using a wide panel of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Leukemic blasts were tested by applying direct immunofluorescence analysis and dual-fluorescence staining, and two groups of patients were identified: 56/110 (51%) expressing only myeloid antigens (My/AML) and 54/110 (49%) expressing both myeloid and lymphoid antigens (Ly/AML). CD13 and CD33 were expressed in almost all FAB subtypes, whereas CD14, frequently expressed in M4 and M5 subtypes (70%), was rarely expressed in M0 + M1 cases (9%). On the contrary, CD34, expressed in 77% of M0 + M1 cases, was practically absent in M3 and M5 subtypes (6% and 7%, respectively). CD2 and CD7 antigens were found in 34% and 42% of patients respectively, whereas B cell-associated antigens, such as CD10 and CD19, were found in 31% and 18% of patients. Cytogenetic abnormalities characteristically present in AML patients were also analyzed and, except for t(8;21) which was found in both groups of patients, the other abnormalities were frequently found in cases coexpressing lymphoid-associated antigens. Finally, the complete remission (CR) rate, survival and event-free survival were analyzed according to the presence of lymphoid markers and also of some specific antigens such as CD7 and CD34. The only prognostic difference was represented by CD34+ patients who showed a reduction in the CR rate compared with CD34- patients (65% versus 82%) (p = 0.05) which became more evident when the mean intensity of fluorescence was considered.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Lauria
F
F
Istituto di Scienze Mediche, Università di Milano, Italy.
Raspadori
D
D
Ventura
M A
MA
Rondelli
D
D
Testoni
N
N
Tosi
P
P
Michieli
M
M
Damiani
D
D
Motta
M R
MR
Tura
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism*; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / Q000378:metabolism; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D011379:Prognosis
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015703:Antigens, CD; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic