Clonal selection of CD56+ t(8;21) AML blasts: further suggestion of the adverse clinical significance of this biological marker?
Although patients with acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML) and t(8;21)(q22;q22) have a favourable prognosis, a subset die despite receiving appropriate treatment. Recent reports suggest that expression of the CD56 antigen might predict for both extramedullary disease and poor outcome in these patients. We describe a patient who presented with CD56-negative t(8;21) AML who achieved a complete remission and was subsequently treated with three consolidative courses of high-dose cytarabine therapy. She relapsed 9 months later with extramedullary and bone marrow involvement of CD56-positive t(8;21) AML. This case demonstrates clonal evolution and provides further support that blast expression of CD56 might be an unfavourable prognostic factor in t(8;21) AML.
Daniels
J T
JT
Department of Internal Medicine, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC 20307, USA.
Davis
B J
BJ
Houde-McGrail
L
L
Byrd
J C
JC
D000328:Adult; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism*; D002891:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 21 / Q000235:genetics; D002898:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 8 / Q000235:genetics; D002999:Clone Cells; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012074:Remission Induction; D014178:Translocation, Genetic / Q000235:genetics
D019002:CD56 Antigen