Immunophenotypic characteristics of acute leukaemia after myelodysplastic syndromes.
OBJECTIVE
To analyse the immunophenotype of acute leukaemia (AL) after myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) (MDS-AL) and to compare the immunophenotypic profile of acute myeloblastic leukaemia (AML) secondary to MDS (MDS-AML) with that of "de novo"-AML.


METHODS
Twenty patients with MDS-AL and 29 patients with "de novo"-AML were studied. Morphocytochemical and flow cytometric studies were done in each case.


RESULTS
All the MDS-AL studied displayed a myeloid phenotype (MDS-AML). The main difference between MDS-AML and "de novo"-AML was a significantly higher frequency of CD34 expression in the first group. Differences concerning the expression of other non-lineage related or myeloid-associated markers were not statistically significant, although the percentage of cases CD15(+) was lower in MDS-AML. The overall frequency of expression of lymphoid-associated markers was similar in both groups, T-cell markers being more frequently detected.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings support the usefulness of immunophenotyping studies to characterize MDS-AL and suggest some immunophenotyping differences between MDS-AML and "de novo"-AML which might have biological and prognostic significance.
Lima
M
M
Service of Clinical Hematology, S. Antonio's General Hospital, Porto, Portugal.
Teixeira
M dos A
Mdos A
Morais
S
S
Cunha
M
M
Coutinho
J
J
Pinho
L
L
Ribeiro
P
P
Justiça
B
B
D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000276:immunology*; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000150:complications*
D015703:Antigens, CD