Improved detection of minimal acute myeloid leukemia cells by the use of the combined parameters of XE-2100 hematology analyzer.
BACKGROUND
For the diagnosis and therapy of acute leukemia, it is important to detect a small number of leukemic cells precisely. Although several automated hematology analyzers that carry blast-detecting programs have been developed, they do not exert sufficient detection sensitivity to exceed the sensitivity of manual eye counting method.


METHODS
We constructed a new blast-detecting program by combining the numerical information acquired from five cytometric parameters presented by XE-2100. The sensitivity and specificity of this blast multi-scoring program were assessed in comparison with the Blasts flag program equipped originally in XE-2100.


RESULTS
The blast-detecting sensitivity was found to be highly improved in the blast multi-scoring program as compared with the Blasts flag program without much decreasing the specificity. A small number of leukemic myeloblasts was detected at the better sensitivity than the eye counting method in the clinical course of the patients with acute myeloid leukemia.


CONCLUSIONS
The daily practical use of this blast multi-scoring program will surely contribute to sensitive, objective, and real-time evaluation of the control of acute myeloid leukemia with a low cost.
Tohyama
Kaoru
K
Department of Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, Japan. ktohyama@med.kawasaki-m.ac.jp
Shiga
Shuichi
S
Itose
Yuji
Y
Uchihashi
Kinya
K
Ohkura
Mitsugi
M
Takahashi
Keiko
K
Itoh
Mitsuru
M
Ichiyama
Satoshi
S
Hamaguchi
Yukio
Y
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004906:Erythrocyte Count / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006403:Hematologic Tests / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006405:Hematology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity