Heterogeneity of acute myeloblastic leukemia without maturation: an ultrastructural study.
We demonstrated by ultrastructural examination that the leukemic blasts of 13 patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) without maturation (M1 in the French-American-British classification) showed heterogeneous features. In 7 patients, the leukemic blasts had a high level of light microscopic myeloperoxidase positivity (> 50%). Ultrastructurally, the cells were myeloblast-promyelocytes with 100% myeloperoxidase positivity, and these 7 patients appeared to have typical AML. In contrast, the remaining 6 patients had leukemic blasts with a low myeloperoxidase positivity (< 50%) and heterogeneous features. Three had ultrastructural features of myelomonocytic or monocytic lineage, 1 had myelomonocytic cells associated with megakaryoblasts, and 1 had undifferentiated blasts. The former group had a better prognosis than the latter, indicating that ultrastructural analysis of M1 leukemia may help predict the response to therapy.
Hamamoto
K
K
First Department of Internal Medicine, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan.
Date
M
M
Taniguchi
H
H
Nagano
T
T
Kishimoto
Y
Y
Kimura
T
T
Fukuhara
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003630:Daunorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D015388:Organelles / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000032:analysis; D011379:Prognosis
D003561:Cytarabine; C015019:enocitabine; D009195:Peroxidase; D003630:Daunorubicin