[Probe of classification of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the biologic features of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and reclassified our ALL patients according to the 2008 WHO classification.


METHODS
Immunophenotype and cytogenetic/molecular genetic results were obtained by flow cytometry, R-banding and RT-PCR, respectively.


RESULTS
(1) A total of 412 newly diagnosed and previously untreated adult ALL patients, were 239 males and 173 females. Among 410 patients with available immunophenotypic results, 357 were B-ALL and 53 T-ALL. Myeloid antigen (MyAg) was higher expression in B-ALL than in T-ALL, and was correlated with the expression of CD34. (2) 93 Ph + ALL patients, mainly CD10 ALL, was associated with high WBC count and MyAg and CD34 expression. MLL rearrangement was found in 12 cases, mainly pro-B ALL. (3) 299 cases could be analysed, according to the 2008 WHO classification of ALL, including 126 B-ALL with recurrent genetic abnormalities, and 120 B-ALL not otherwise specified. Among the 126 B-ALL with recurrent genetic abnormalities, 92 were Ph + ALL, 10 MLL + ALL, 11 hyperdiploid, 9 hypodiploid, 3 E2A-PBX +, and 1 TEL-AML1 +. Patients with Ph +, MLL +, hypodiploid or E2A-PBX + were associated with older age, higher WBC count, higher HGB, higher peripheral blasts and higher LDH level as compared with other patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Combination of immunophenotype and cytogenetic-molecular profiles can provide a further detailed classification of B-ALL.
Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, Tianjin 300020, China.
Cui-Cui
CC
Wang
Chun-Lin
CL
Zhou
Hui-Jun
HJ
Wang
Qing-Hua
QH
Li
Xu-Ping
XP
Liu
Ben-Fa
BF
Gong
Bing-Cheng
BC
Liu
Dong
D
Lin
Wei
W
Li
Ying-Chang
YC
Mi
Jian-Xiang
JX
Wang
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002871:Chromosome Banding; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007621:Karyotyping; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult