title: Increased expression of myeloid antigen markers in adult acute lymphoblastic leukaemia patients: diagnostic and prognostic implications.
abstract: By applying direct immunofluorescence with a dual-staining technique we were able to demonstrate that 20/37 (54%) patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) expressed both lymphoid and myeloid antigens on the same leukaemic cells. CD13 and CD33 myeloid antigens were detected in 18/20 and in 15/20 cases respectively, and both in 13. Molecular studies confirmed that the four patients with T-cell phenotype had molecular rearrangement of T-cell receptor (TcR) beta chain, and 26 ALL patients with 'B-cell' phenotype showed JH rearrangement. Two ALL patients without (ALL/My-) and three with myeloid antigens (ALL/My+) also demonstrated bcr/abl rearrangement. Both groups of patients had similar presenting features such as age, sex, Hb level, white blood cells, platelet counts and cytogenetic features. Complete response was achieved in 16/17 (94%) ALL/My- patients and in 15/18 (83%) ALL/My+ patients (two deaths occurred during induction) with a mean duration of 17 and 16 months respectively and with similar survival and event-free survival curves. Myeloid antigen expression in adult ALL patients may occur more frequently than previously reported. The presence of myeloid antigen does not identify, in our series, a higher-risk subgroup of patients, although lack of any statistical evidence of prognostic significance needs to be confirmed in a larger case study.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Ematologia L. e A. Seragnoli, Università di Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lauria
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raspadori
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rondelli
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Farabegoli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tosi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Testoni
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Visani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zaccaria
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / Q000032:analysis*; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D018826:CD13 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D063268:Sialic Acid Binding Ig-like Lectin 3
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; C571163:CD33 protein, human; D063268:Sialic Acid Binding Ig-like Lectin 3; D018826:CD13 Antigens